How Gen Z Use the Library
I recently attended a webinar about how Gen Z uses libraries. The presenters, Professor Kathi Inman Berens and Professor Rachel Noorda, both from Portland State University, used their research from 2022 and 2025 to inform their presentation “Gen Z and Libraries.” Unless cited otherwise, the statistics in this column are from their presentation. Gen Z is the generation after Millennials and includes anyone born between 1997 and 2012. This generation is currently 14 through 29 years old. I found the information they were presenting fascinating, and it fits with how we are seeing Gen Z use the Fergus Falls Public Library.
Gen Z are big library users and their library use is growing. Berens and Noorda found that 67% of Gen Z visited the library in 2025, up from 54% in 2022. On average, every day 450 people visit the Fergus Falls Public Library, Monday through Saturday, and this number has increased from previous years. We had our busiest summer on recent record this year, with over 31,000 visits to the library between June & July.
We see many Gen Zers using the Fergus Falls Public Library to study. Earlier this month, on a Friday morning, I counted eight tables and couches, in just one portion of the library, being used by different groups to study and work. The first week of classes this fall, we saw high schoolers spending time at the library during their study periods and after school, and college students getting a jump on their assignments. The library has study rooms, conference rooms, and a large community room, all available free of charge. These spaces can be used by individuals or groups. They’re perfect for studying, group projects, and working remotely. You can reserve a room in advance–at least the day prior to using it–or you can come into the library and use any of the rooms that are not in use.
One way the library welcomes Gen Z students studying is with Random Acts of Snacks. This program is supported by the Friends of the Library. Our Youth Services Librarian Arielle McCune wheels around a cart providing snacks for high school and college students studying in the library.
Many Gen Zers visit the library for “Me Time”, and research shows that 85% of Gen Zers wish they had more third places–separate from work and home–where they can relax. Unstructured time in the library is part of the appeal for Gen Z. In addition to enclosed study rooms, the library has tables, booths and comfortable seating throughout the building. We’re heading into the cozy months, so I recommend our fireplace reading lounge for a warm, restorative fall and winter atmosphere. Likewise, our reading garden is a tranquil place to spend your time during the spring and summer months. Loneliness is pervasive for 18-24 year olds; 79% of those in this age category reported feeling lonely. Young adults are twice as likely as seniors to feel lonely. The library is a great place to spend your time while also being in community with others.
Gen Z are readers, and the number of Gen Z that identify as readers is increasing. In 2025, 66% of Gen Z identified as readers, up from 52% in 2022. Borrowing books is Gen Z’s #1 use of the library. Gen Z are digital natives, meaning they’ve always had the option to read on digital devices. However, their favorite format to read is print books. Despite this preference, they are agile and will switch off between all formats according to what is available. The Fergus Falls Public Library provides access to print books and magazines, audiobooks on CD, DVDs and other physical formats, as well as access to digital items. For ebooks and audiobooks, the library has two apps: Libby and Hoopla. For physical items not available at the Fergus Falls Public Library (FFPL), you can have books sent to FFPL from almost any library in Minnesota, for free, using MNLINK interlibrary loan.
Gen Z is an ethics and values based generation. They use social media and AI, but trust it less than other generations. For Gen Z, librarians are a trusted source to discover books, and libraries are Gen Z’s second most-used way to get books (bookstores are #1). Libraries are part of Gen Z’s turning toward the physical and local. It is heartwarming to see this generation so fully embrace the library.
Katelyn Boyer is the Adult Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library