Opportunity for All How the American Public
Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries
"Over the past decade and a half, free access to computers and the Internet
in U.S. public libraries evolved from a rare commodity into a core service.
Now, people from all walks of life rely on this service every day to look
for jobs, find health care, and read the latest news. As the nation struggled
through a historic recession, nearly one-third of the U.S. population over
the age of 14 used library Internet computers and those in poverty relied
on these resources even more.

This study provides the first large-scale investigation of the ways library
patrons use this service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives.
A national telephone survey, nearly 45,000 online surveys at public libraries,
and hundreds of interviews reveal the central role modern libraries play in
a digital society.

The library’s role as a technology resource and training center has exploded
since 1996, when only 28 percent of libraries offered visitors access to the
Internet. Today, almost all public library branches offer visitors free access
to computers and the Internet, thanks to a sustained effort by federal, state,
and local governments; private philanthropy; and the work of librarians. Until
now, though, there has been no systematic study that provided a national
picture of how people use this important community resource.

Internet access is now one of the most sought after public library services,
and it is used by nearly half of all visitors. Over the past year, 45 percent
of the 169 million visitors to public libraries connected to the Internet
using a library computer or wireless network during their visit, even though
more than three quarters of these people had Internet access at home, work,
or elsewhere. The widespread use of these services by people of varying age,
income, and experience is an indication of the unique role that public
libraries play in the evolving digital landscape. Public libraries stand
out as one of the few community institutions that can address the computing
and information needs of all kinds of users, from seniors who have never
touched a keyboard to young entrepreneurs launching a new eBusinesses
strategy.