Looked at Public Libraries and the Internet 2004 Survey
· Policy issues related to public libraries
o Suffiecienty of connectivity, levels of public access, need for training, continuing gaps in access, sources for funding for technology
o Method - Used web-based survey approach from director of library
· Study findings
o Public libraries provide internet connectivity for almost all US residents
§ 99.6% of libs connected to the internet
o progress due to:
§ federal grants for tech through Library Service & Tech Act (LSTA)
§ e-rate discounts for infracture and connectivity
§ public/private support, including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
o public libs reaching a plateau in terms of the number of public workstations available for use and that these workstations are not enough to meet demand (especially rural – less workstations, slower connections)
· Key policy issues
o Bandwith
§ Average bandwith to operate is increasing, libs must inc to keep up
o Digital divide v. digital inclusion
§ Digital divide – geographic location, race, income, other factors
§ Digital inclusion – focus on how many ppl are currently online
§ Still divide in US
· Considerable divides b/w rural and other libs
o Rural areas being left behind in terms of speed of connectivity and the broadband access
· Access to bandwith vary considerably state-to-state
· 85% of libs reported that there are times of day when there are an inadequate number of workstations available
· libs serving the populations that have the greatest need for internet access are the least able to meet demand for it
o expectation of public libraries as a universal access point
§ e-government: public library important link b/w them, the networked environment, and the govt
§ level of technology in some libs reaching a plateau
· endless upgrade cycle, tech support, maintence costs, space limitations
o funding internet access
§ connectivity, assess services, etc not a one-time investment
o filtering, CIPA, E-rate
§ Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires libs that receive e-rate and LSTA funds to filter (if do not filter, don’t get $)
· Filters only disabled if adult patron asks for it
o Blocks health information, including sex health
o Hesitant to ask to remove filters
o Having to ask can simply limit internet use in general
o Homeland security
§ USA Patriot Act
· Battle of protecting patrons and monitoring patrons
· Act allows for survelliance of expanded records and gag order for librarians
· So libs not taking as many usage stats, but this is useful information, but the libs want to protect patron privacy
· Conclusion
o Public libs moving toward digital exclusion
o We must define quality public Internet access service provision with the public library context
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