WORKDESIGN PROCESSABOUTRESUME
Reimagining the Chicago Public Library (CPL)
as a Social Space for Millennials
At-a-Glance

Over the last two years of the pandemic, Chicago Public Library (CPL)  could not escape the direct impact of COVID-19, often having to repeatedly close and reopen. With visitorship to CPL declining by 44% since 2019, my team initiated
a research project to examine how young Chicagoans would like to see CPL evolve in the future, with a focus on identifying creative placemaking opportunities.

Client
Role
Project context
Primary & Secondary research
Field Observation
Ethnographic Interviews
Qualitative Data Analysis & Synthesis
Ideation / Concept development
Team project : 3 members
14 weeks
2022
How about we propose strategic recommendations
for CPL that can re-engage millennials
through events and programming?
CHALLENGE
People no longer feel a strong motivation to use the library, between completing all their studies and having a child after marriage
And, people of this age group are now the ‘MILLENNIAL’
For a high-engagement group, there is a strong motivation for studying. And a case of married couples with children in the medium engagement group, they check out books or bring their children to libraries to develop child’s language, cognitive, and social development. Middle-aged and elderly were also using the library to some extent to attend cultural classes, programs, or lectures for improving mental health. Unlike those two groups, high engagement and medium engagement, the low engagement group, dominated by millennials who are a single or married couples without children, has the least motivations to use libraries. Hence, my team focused on this usage gap of the changes of human life stage and specified the target user group.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Millennials have a collective spending power of $2.5 trillion
Therefore, Chicago public libraries to take a bigger leap in the future, CPL should attract millennials’ re-engagement and serve what millennials interesting.
RESEARCH GOAL
Explore opportunities for Chicago Public Library to revitalize its relationship with millennials.
To define :
Strategies for Chicago Public Library to implement millennial-centered programming
PRIMARY RESEARCH 
Placemaking
For community-powered public spaces we use Project for Public Spaces (PPS) diagram identified eleven key principles. The Place Diagram has developed to help communities evaluate places. The inner ring represents a place’s key attributes, the middle ring its intangible qualities, and the outer ring its measurable data.
Sociability + Use / Activities :  Strengthens the connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to a collaborative process by which we can shape public spaces in order to maximize shared value.
Third Place
The concept of the third space has been used as a sociocultural term which refers informal public gathering places as distinct from the home (first space) or work (second space). The third place offers stress relief from the everyday demands of both home and work. It provides the feeling of inclusiveness and belonging associated with participating in social activities.
RESEARCH METHODS
19 Total Participants
KEY INSIGHTS
CONCLUSION
CPL can revitalize their connection with millennials by offering recurring events that emphasize social comfort and require low initial levels of commitment.
FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
How can CPL re-engage millennials through events and programming?
1. Activating Offerings
Types of events and programs CPL should offer in its neighborhood branches
2. Event Logistics
Especially for those who are “New in Town,” events should :
3. Event Marketing
Data analysis and synthesis - key insightful question I
How do millennials view the library?
• Millennials value public libraries
• Many millennials still use the library, primarily through digital services
• Millennials don’t perceive libraries as places for recreation or socialization
• Convenience and access are additional barriers (Inconveniences hinder library usage)
• Libraries don’t currently see themselves as social spaces for millennials
Data analysis and synthesis - key insightful question II
How do millennials spend their free time?
• What kinds of events are millennials attending?
• How millennials find events
Searching events  vs  Finding events
Specifically seeking out a particular event : 36%
Hearing about an event : 64%
• Millennials strategically balance novelty and familiarity when choosing how to spend their free time
If millennials are looking to meet new people, recurring activities are preferred
“I had a limited capacity to do vulnerable scary things each week. And I just assumed that unless it’s something like sports, where you know people your age will be there, you just assume people that go to those things will be weird and not worth it.” - 33 year old man
• Motivation pathways for decision-making
Go to Final Recommendations 👆
REFLECTION
Key Takeaway
Captures how people interact with one another and with their social and cultural environment
People's perceptions of the library are deeply connected to their social environment and lifestyle. If we didn't investigate people's behavioral changing patterns in each human development stage, it might be hard to define the problem area and target user group. Consequently, by analyzing and synthesizing qualitative and quantitive data from a macroscopic perspective, my team could build insightful hypotheses and solutions for desired library service.
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Next,
IIT AECL's Transformation

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Sunmin Ko‍
Chicago, IL, USA
ssmkdesign@gmail.com
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