Alice Porter is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who writes for publications including 

Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

Collective Equity

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

As a society, we're reading less than ever, and this is particularly true of young people, with the share of American children reading at the lowest levels in decades. Among 13-year-olds surveyed in the 2019/20 school year, just 17% said they read for fun almost every day. By contrast, 35% said the same in 1984. 

World Economic Forum

Combined with the normalization of ordering books from sites like Amazon, most people have come to neglect public libraries or even brick-and-mortar bookshops. Indeed, a report published in 2022 noted a 21% decline in library visits between 2009 and 2019. 

Words Rated

Beyond the issue of seemingly receding public interest, libraries are also facing threats from local and state authorities. During the first half of the 2022/23 school year, PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans recorded 1,477 instances of individual books being banned (a 28% rise compared to the previous six months), with stories by and about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals the most targeted. 

PEN America

But even as lawmakers in many states lay out plans to defund libraries, Gen Zers are stepping in to lend support. 

For a politically charged generation – 70% of Zers globally are involved in a social or political cause – it's understandable that they see public libraries as a political space, striving to support them in the face of government control. 

BBC Worklife

A new report conducted by the American Library Association found that Gen Z and millennials are using public library resources, both in person or online, at a higher rate than previous generations 

American Library Association

“Great news: younger generations of people are reading books, buying books, and visiting libraries,” said Dr. Rachel Noorda, one of the report’s co-authors. “Not only are Gen Z and Millennials engaging with books, but they are also engaging with other forms of media. They are gamers, readers, writers, and fans who are comfortable with malleability between media categories and forms.”

"These digitally-immersed generations make clear that libraries are about more than books,” added ALA President Emily Drabinski. “Programming relevant to teens and their parents – coding clubs, job application help, gaming – draws even non-readers to the library, as does the physical space to connect and collaborate."

Gen Z’s growing support for libraries may also be interpreted as an effort to combat the alienation resulting from being constantly online. A sense of digital community peaked during pandemic lockdowns as Gen Zers, in particular, found myriad ways to connect with each other for education, recreation, and values-based connection. Three years on, seeking community in person is still a challenge for many young people – 24% of young adults surveyed in early 2023 said that they felt lonely for a lot of the previous day, with this proportion rising to 27% among people from lower-income households. 

American Psychological Association

In this light, public libraries offer an affordable solution to what has been described as the 'loneliness pandemic'. They also increase access to educational resources for young people of all backgrounds, even those who can't visit their library in person, with the use of digital library collections rising by 145% between 2014 and 2019. 

 So, will it be Gen Zers who save public libraries – the same cohort that is so often accused of having no time for anything but scrolling? There are plenty of reasons to believe so.

For Gen Z, getting involved with public libraries is a way to invest in their local community. A survey of Gen Yers and Zers in the US, UK, Canada, and France found that over 75% feel as though they have a voice and social capital within their community. 

Forbes

Public libraries are a physical space where people can express their thoughts and engage with others who are looking to do the same. For this reason, public libraries are experimenting with new ways to engage Zers. In New York City, for instance, the Brooklyn Public Library created limited-edition cards, complete with artwork from Jay-Z albums, fueling more than 14,000 new accounts. This was part of an exhibition at the library called ‘The Book of HOV’, which celebrated the life of Jay-Z. 

The New York Times

“The Brooklyn Library is a very special place – the architecture, the building, the mission of the library, the people involved in the library – and I think that it really is a cultural hub within Brooklyn,” says Ian Schatzberg, the founder and CEO of 

, the brand design agency that helped bring ‘The Book of HOV’ exhibition to life. “Libraries aren't static institutions – they're alive with people, and ‘The Book Of HOV’ is another chapter in people coming together to experience education and knowledge, which I think is in line with the missions of public libraries around the world.” 

Interview with Ian Schatzberg conducted by the author

In a post-gentrification era, the desire to support public libraries is also a token of appreciation for local communities and what they can offer. This local-first mindset is also evident in the rise of independent bookstores, with more than 300 new independent bookstores opening across the US since the start of the 2020s. 

 Often, these bookstores serve as community spaces as well as physical shopping spaces. For example, Brooklyn-based 

 is a bookstore-meets-bar. In 2021, Chrissy Ryan opened a similar concept store called BookBar in London, which has experienced great success, particularly among young people. "BookBar was all about making it an experience,” she says. “All independent bookshops, in my opinion, are community spaces and experiential experiences.” 

Interview with Chrissy Ryan conducted by the author

Post-pandemic, many people have come to realize the importance of community, and this is particularly true for Gen Zers, who, thanks to lockdowns, never really had the chance to discover communities of their own. Many young people are, in turn, rejecting digital experiences. In December 2022, The New York Times reported on a group of teenagers in New York who have sworn off social media, using a public library as a common meeting point and a source of books to facilitate shared experiences. 

 “If you've grown up online, you probably do crave those social interactions and meeting new people,” says Ryan, explaining that BookBar has served as a space for young people to meet others with similar interests outside of social media. 

Research has found that a third of Americans say they feel lonelier than ever before, leading even social media brands to push for IRL connection. 

Fortune

 Some people are consequently turning to ‘

 together – part of a broader reckoning with culture that’s seen Berlin offer €50 vouchers, available for pick-up at public libraries, that allow entry to clubs in the German city. 

Insider

 “The library is absolutely a community space for our youth, even if they wouldn't put it that way or recognize it as such,” says Vanessa Gempis, manager at the 

Pauline Foster Teen Center of San Diego Public Library

. “The library is a place for teens to come and hang out after school with friends because it's a space they can just be without having any adult expectations outside of following basic library rules.” 

Interview with Vanessa Gempis conducted by the author

Exhibitions like ‘The Book Of HOV’ have also proven successful as a way for people to soak up culture outside of their phones. However, Schatzberg says there's space for both digital and brick-and-mortar spaces, and that there's no need for one to cancel the other out. “We created very deliberately an online exhibition that mirrors every artifact in the show,” he says. “There are also people who will not have the ability to travel to Brooklyn and see the show, and having digital as a tool to represent the narrative is equally as important to us.” 

 Public libraries’ digital presences have also been vital in keeping them alive during the pandemic and ensuring they’re relevant for digital native audiences, with the total collection size of libraries bigger and more online than ever before. 

Libraries are a historically accessible space, and there are fights to retain this element despite government defunding efforts and book bans. A campaign called 

, launched by the Brooklyn Public Library in 2022, offered free e-cards to the library for young adults anywhere in the US, which led to over 6,000 sign-ups and 52,000 books being checked out. In 2023, the San Diego Public Library joined the campaign, and it has since expanded to three more libraries. “Teens today are so incredibly smart and savvy, and they've seen the power of activism and raising your voice,” says Gempis. “If you look at any school district or library that has banned or tried to ban books, I can guarantee that you'll find teens who are speaking out and joining to protect the freedom to read.” 

Libraries are among the only places, digital or otherwise, where you can access entertainment and education at no cost in 2023. “Accessibility is one of our most important goals, especially for youth,” Gempis adds. One of the most significant ways she has been promoting accessibility is through the Student EXCEL Card program. Students who attend San Diego Unified School District schools all get a library card attached to their student ID number. “There are no fines or fees, so if they lose one, that doesn't automatically inhibit their ability to access library materials,” she says. So far, 2,500 students have activated and used their EXCEL cards. 

Schatzberg explains that accessibility was the reason for showcasing ‘The Book of HOV’ at a public library. “The genesis of the [installation] was asking ‘how do you create something that's free for the public and free for all?’” he says. “To put the installation in a context that was highly inclusive and accessible to all ages was really important.” 

 Running an independent bookshop, inclusivity and accessibility are also important to Ryan, and she says it's key to how she has built an engaged and loyal customer base. “Bookstores aren't just functional spaces – they’re emotional and social spaces,” she says, explaining that bookshops are unique compared to other retail spaces in that browsing for hours and hours is encouraged. People aren’t simply expected to enter, find something to buy, then leave. 

Post-pandemic and in a turbulent political climate, young people have an interest in supporting community initiatives, especially as global instability mounts and the importance of local support systems rises. In fact, a survey carried out in 2021 found that roughly 30% of Gen Zers and Yers around the world had attended political events or public meetings on local issues in the previous two years. 

Deloitte

 Brands can tap into this sense of civic spirit by partnering with or supporting local communities, such as Jay-Z's partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library.

Trend cycles are quick-moving, and the world of books is no exception. For many people, it can be exhausting trying to keep up with new releases, and as the publishing industry changes in the face of social media, so too is the way we engage with it and broader culture. For brands, helping people to slow down and reconnect with their real interests outside of the trend cycle can be valuable, particularly as people rethink their relationship with technology and look for hobbies and activities that will take them offline. 

, for example, created an ad campaign that embraced in-person hangouts, emphasizing the unique ways Gen Zers creatively and unexpectedly engage with the platform.

As more and more libraries launch campaigns to engage the public, brands have plenty of opportunities to get involved. They can support initiatives that advocate for public libraries and highlight their importance in communities. Particularly for brands that have a vested interest in literature, art, and wider culture, libraries are incredible spaces and symbols to help communicate their values. “I commend the library and their willingness to be a home for this narrative,” says Schatzberg of ‘The Book Of HOV’ exhibition. “Libraries serve as important spokes for society in their mission to disseminate knowledge and foster efforts around education and create a fabric and the underpinnings for democracy in a lot of ways.” 

During the first half of the 2022/23 school year, 1,477 individual books were banned across the US, marking a 

 rise compared to the previous six months

 of Gen Zers and Yers around the world said they had attended political events or public meetings on local issues in the previous two years

 of Gen Yers and Zers feel as though they have a voice and social capital within their community

Although societally, people are reading less than ever, Gen Zers see public libraries as essential community spaces where they can simply exist offline

Public libraries offer an affordable solution to the loneliness pandemic and increase accessibility to educational resources for young people of all backgrounds

Brands, particularly those connected to the arts and culture, can play a vital role in advocating for public libraries and highlighting their importance in communities

Ian Schatzberg is a designer and the founder of General Idea, an agency working with brands, cultural figures, and cultural institutions to represent and bring powerful ideas to the public. Based in New York, General Idea takes a cross-disciplinary approach that combines editorial, branding, architecture, and motion graphics to create experiences.

Chrissy Ryan is the founder of BookBar, a London-based independent book service that brings people together through books. With a background in publishing, Ryan opened BookBar in 2021 as a bookshop-meets-bar concept, which has gone from strength to strength with a loyal customer base as well as an online community.

Vanessa Gempis is the manager of the Pauline Foster Teen Centre at the San Diego Public Library.

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

United States

Media and Entertainment

Publishing

Toys and hobbies

Social networking

Despite being digital natives, Gen Zers are being drawn to an institution that’s thousands of years old – the public library. The ability to foster a community, disconnect from the web, and access a plethora of stories for free are just a few reasons why these spaces are pulling in young readers.