I’m sure you were aware of the X and Y and the Millenial Generation, if that is what the Connected Generation (see below) is.  This article presents the Connected Generation in light of 10 “cravings” – useful to us as librarians, as StephenB comments …

a worthwhile read for us as we always need to find better ways to promote our services and resources to our new generations of library users.

Baby Boomers may still hold the purse strings, but these savvy 18-40-year-olds are changing the way all of us do business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a rock band, a fashion designer, a nonprofit organization, or a sporting goods outlet, you and your team need to understand what makes the Connected Generation tick. Why the Connected Generation? They’re connected to technology and their social networks around the clock. They’re all but immune to traditional advertising and will only pull in the products and services that they want. In fact, this group of primarily Gen X and Y consumers has 10 highly specific cravings that drive their behavior.

Read on …

Update …

I clicked “publish” and then remembered Guy Kawasaki’s post from a few weeks back on

a panel with … six Silicon Valley young adults whose ages ranged from fifteen to twenty four.

in a post he called “Is Advertising dead?”  He quoted some fascinating ”factoids” about this group,  eg.

• How they use computers—and Microsoft Office!
• The surprisingly high degree to which they resent being “marketed to.”

and commented,

The bottom line message is that before you waste your marketing dollars, you should watch what the panelists had to say about these topics:

We will, we will… and we can add it to The Shifted Librarian’s  panellist responses … Here is just a chunk from a fascinating post. 

would you come if we offer library workshops? what kind would attract you?
second panelist – we find out information on the internet, so we wouldn’t come; for example, she learned how to knit on the internet; most wouldn’t come to the library and sit through a 60 minute session
third panelist – there are Flash programs and movies that you can download to your laptop to learn; much more about convenience; I don’t have to go the library to learn something, although if you give us candy, we will come

so you would use Flash tutorials online to learn how to use the library?
third panelist – oh, yeah; I would much rather do that; it’s easier for me; I could do that from my dorm room

do you think you need to learn more about the library or do you think you can get by?
third panelist – we’re very trial-and-error based; “I can guarantee you that if I don’t figure something out the first time, I guarantee you I’ll get it the third or fourth time”
second panelist -

would you be willing to ask those questions more over IM?
first panelist – don’t like face-to-face interactions; might use IM; many use phone; easier to get your thoughts together in email, too
second panelist – they did a survey at her library and most said email over IM; email, chat, phone, person as preferred methods
third panelist – email is more on your time; on chat I’m wasting your time; I would use chat for that but I would prefer email; I might use IM

in email, do you want answer or to teach you how to do it?
all – we just want the answer

But, in the end, it is our own users that we must consider first and foremost – ref the post by the Gypsy Librarian.  He commented on the observation that Joy made, when she was promoting their IM Service 

Most students said “cool!” There were a surprising number, however, who said “I don’t do that.”