According to the PEW Research Center:
"about one in five (22%) feel they are aware of “all or most” of the services and programs their public library offers, a plurality (46%) feel they just know of “some” of what their library offers. Another 20% say they know “not much” about services offered by their library, and 11% say they know “nothing at all” about what is available at their library" (PEW Research Center, 2013).
This is concerning and it is something I am not surprised by. I work at various service points at an academic library and I hear people all the time say things like, "I didn't know the library had..." or "I wish I had known about this service years ago".
This was the basis for the game Library Adventure.
Library Adventure is a path game designed to teach first year undergraduate students at Carleton University about the benefits of using the library and what services are available in the library.
The "Game Context" section of this portfolio explores the research behind Library Adventure, where it will be used, the institutional goals of the host institution, supporting research, and an assessment tool for the game.
PEW Research Center. (2013). Library Services in the Digital Age. Retrieved from: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/part-4-what-people-want-from-their-libraries/