The Impacts of Free Public Internet Access on Public Library Patrons and Communities

Abstract

Public libraries have evolved into a primary source of Internet access in many communities, generating wide-ranging impacts in the communities that public libraries serve. Based on the findings of the 2007 Public Libraries and the Internet study, this article examines the ways in which the Internet access delivered by public libraries affects their communities. This article describes the public access technology roles of public libraries and explores the relationships among community impacts, community expectations, and public policies related to libraries. The analysis emphasizes the effects of future Internet platforms and applications and online communities on the community impacts. This article also examines ways in which to measure these impacts from other perspectives, including developing a means of assessing the users' perceptions of the impacts of public library Internet access in their own lives and in their communities.

Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges

“…In two-thirds of American communities, the public library is the only source of freely available public Internet access inclusive of public access computers. 10 Specific government efforts to increase Internet access, broadband networks, and digital literacy of the population, however, fail to involve public libraries in a meaningful way, if at all. 11 To be fair, public libraries were eligible to compete for the grants or submit loan applications for the ARRA broadband funding initiatives, and public libraries in states such as Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, and others have benefited from this, primarily through inclusion in applications with multiple beneficiaries.…”

The Life of the Space: Evidence from Nova Scotia Public Libraries

“…Curry's research data (2002), albeit somewhat dated, reveals that in 2002, when Canadians accessed the Internet at the public library they did so for a wide variety of purposes, with email being the most common (p. 54). Bertot, McClure, & Jaeger (2008) show that free computer access in public libraries brings many benefits to communities, which is perhaps why computer use appears to have increased considerably in the years since Leckie & Hopkins (2002) collected and published their data (p. 346). In that study, reading was the most common patron activity, whereas slightly fewer than fifteen percent of patrons were located at computer workstations.…”

TV Whites Spaces in Public Libraries: A Primer

“…12 However, many public libraries are facing an "infrastructure plateau" of internet access due to few computer workstations and slower broadband connection speeds that can support a growing number of users, 13 on top of insufficient funding, physical space, and staffing. 14 Previous surveys show that although public libraries are connected to the internet and provide public access workstations and wireless access, nearly 50% of public libraries only offer wireless access that shares the same bandwidth as their workstations. 15 This increased usage strains existing network connections and infrastructure, resulting in slower connections for everyone connected to the public library's network.…”