To begin this task, i did some real life observations within NI Libraries to see the kind of demographic that currently attend. The two main groups i saw where:

• Eldery people
• Families with young children (especially on weekends)

Although this was useful, I decided to do some research online into librariesNI.

Age groups that frequently engage with library services.

I was able to get some useful information about UK libraries of the Reading Agency website. Heres the information i’ve extracted:

• Children (Aged 5–15):

high attendance rates, 64% of 5-10 year-olds and 58% of 11-15 year-olds visiting a library in the last year (as of 2019/20).

• Young Adults (Aged 16–24):

This group is often statistically the least likely to visit (21%), despite high engagement from Gen Z as a whole.

• Adults (Aged 25–44):

This group typically shows the highest rates of attendance among adults (37%).

• Older Adults (Aged 65+):

Attendance is also high in this group (approx. 36%), often for borrowing books and using physical space.

There is a particular demographic that is in need of library services and the space it provides.

I want to make young people (16-24) my main targets for this redesign, but also the public as a whole who feel they are lacking a sense of community. My research has shown me that the majority of people who report feeling lonely are young people aged 16-40. This is due to a number of factors, but i believe the main ones to be the rise of technology and reliance on it for connection, and a decline in young people meeting up in real life.

My parents always tell me about how when they were young, to make friends you’d simply go up and speak to people. My generation is so removed from reality in this way as most of us would be too scared of rejection. While clubs and societies exist, these usually involve monetary transaction/ having a specific skill, and this is where third spaces like parks and libraries come in.

Another reason I want to target young people is the growing reliance on technology and AI, which has led to a decline in literacy and critical thinking skills. As information becomes instantly accessible, (through AI and google searches) there is less incentive to engage with knowledge slowly (like reading a book). This shift will contribute to reduced attention spans and a reliance on external tools to think for us, rather than developing independent reasoning. Personally, i find this slightly terrifying as i can already see the effects on my generation, i cannot imagine how this will impact children who will grow up with AI. This is why i think its really important to remind young people that education is a priviledge, and free access to information is not something that we should take for granted.