I think over time like anything it becomes easier to process information or learn a new skill at a younger age. This does not mean that the older generation can’t still learn and adapt to the changing environment but I do see that younger and younger kids can teach me more about an iPad than I ever knew it could do…and I’m only 27. I do think that reading is a skill that you can get better at the more you do it. I can read 3 to 4 books a week given the time and that’s simply because I practice everyday. When I told the children that I worked with I could do that they would think I was crazy but the more that they read they were so proud to tell me that they also finished 2 or 3 books in one week!

Working now within a public library environment one of my responsibilities is that I run one to one technology training and basic community workshops. The clientele of these sessions are generally our older patrons who wish to learn how to send an email or how to use a device they received for christmas. These sessions normally last an hour and at times we can only get through the very basic functions of the device. Some book in for multiple sessions so they can feel more comfortable and confident using the device and some go away thinking they will never understand how to fully use them. Alternatively we have children come in with their grandparents who do everything and more on their phones if they need help or assistance with anything. So I believe that younger people do adapt and use technology differently simply because they are able to process the information faster and more confidently. 

When I worked within a school the high school trialled an ebook platform for the students to access. However after a year they didn’t continue subscribing as the stats showed that only a few students were using the platform even after promoting the service. We never trialled it within the junior school because we wanted to spend our budget on the most up to date physical resources we could get. Occasionally we would be asked by parents about ebooks but we always forwarded them onto the local libraries. Now working with a public library we offer a range of online platforms, however within my branch we get most families borrowing the max amount of resources they can (35 items) and not bothering with any of the ebook platforms. I think it comes down to personal preference and parents don’t want their kids in front of more screens so they don’t invest in kindle and kobos until the children are older. During lockdown we did see a massive shift to online resources but that was because they did not have access to the library. 

As the world changes and evolves I still think that people will want access to those physical items along with the ability to get things digitally if they want.