The Baby Boomer Generation--Impact on Public Libraries: Theoretical and Practical Evidence.

This paper discusses the impact of the Baby Boomer generation on public libraries. The paper has five main objectives: (1) to provide a statistical and demographic profile of the Baby Boomers at the local, state, and national levels within Australia; (2) to provide characteristics of the Baby Boomer generation; (3) to present comparative results and outcomes of a library survey within the Shire of Swan (Australia) Public Library Service where the Baby Boomers were statistically targeted, including demographics, self service options, purpose for using the libraries, prioritization of future services/needs, personal computer and Internet access, value to customers of services and resources, and leisure interests; (4) to address the issue of mythical or real impact of this generation on public libraries; and (5) to address the issue of theoretical documentation about the Baby Boomers versus practical evidence. (MES)