Public Libraries And The Internet

This book is a timely and detailed exploration of the impact and issues of the Internet in public libraries and their implications for society, policy, and professional practice. Public Libraries and the Internet: Roles, Perspectives, and Implications explores the impact of the Internet and the expansion of the networked environment on U.S. public libraries through more than a dozen essays written by leading scholars and administrators. Notwithstanding the far-reaching changes wrought by the Internet, this is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive exploration of the subject over time and across areas of practice. This wide-ranging volume, edited by the authors of several national studies tracking the use and involvement of public libraries with the Internet since 1994, offers both description and assessment. It discusses the ways in which the roles and services of public libraries have changed as a result of the Internet and offers a perspective on the meaning and impact of these changes. Perhaps most critically, it also suggests possible futures and opportunities as public libraries continue to evolve in this networked environment.

This 1996 National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) survey gathered data from a national sample of public libraries concerning the current level of public library involvement with the Internet. The purpose of this study was to: (1) provide policymakers, researchers, and library professionals with longitudinal data that measured changes in public library Internet involvement since the first survey in 1994; (2) identify costs for public library Internet services; and (3) identify issues and inform the policy debate concerning public library roles in the electronic networked environment. This final report is divided into three sections: Introduction; Study Results; and Progress and Issues. The introduction discusses the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Library Services and Construction Act/Library Services and Technology Act; intellectual property and the National Information Infrastructure; and an electronic federal depository library program. The second section discusses study methodology; public library demographics; accessing the Internet; the current state of public library Internet connectivity; Internet uses and public access services; and benefits to connecting to the Internet. The third section focuses on disparities; connectivity versus services; the goal of universal service; quality of network services; the life cycle of public library Internet development; and preparation for the next survey. Appendices include the survey instrument, survey alert, and cover letter, and information about the authors. (Contains 27 references, and 45 figures that present survey data.) (Author/AEF)

Charles McClure and Paul T. Jaeger speak to the ways in which the Internet has had more impact on public libraries than any other technology since the creation of the book. The issues presented are vital to library service, planning, evaluation, research and educationand most significantly how effectively libraries service the general public.

Publicly-supported community libraries are a critical component of the National information infrastructure (NII) initiative. This survey provides data about Internet connectivity for public libraries. 79 tables.

This report is the result of the statutory mandate by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to promote activities to extend the nation's library and information handling capability as essential links in the emerging global information infrastructure. In a study to inventory the challenges related to libraries' roles in the National Information Infrastructure (NII), it was discovered that libraries had difficulty identifying and describing specific Internet costs. The cost elements, models, and worksheets presented here are intended to serve as useful guides for public libraries and communities in planning Internet connections and services. Five representative connectivity models and seven broad cost categories are identified for use by public libraries planning Internet connectivity and services. The value of this study rests more with the development of cost models, worksheets, and cost categories than with the costs represented in this report. However, the representative costs illustrate the significant variations that are possible in planning the networking permutations and configuration available to the public library community. For example, an initial one-time cost of $1,475 and a recurring annual cost of $12,635, a public library can establish a minimal level of single-workstation, text-based Internet connection. A more sophisticated representative multimedia connectivity model is described involving multiple workstations at multiple locations for a one-time cost of $266,375 and a recurring annual cost of $154,220, indicating the wide variation in cost and connectivity possibilities. The findings are intended to provide a basis for extending the benefits of advanced information services to the nation through its 9,050 public libraries. Models are illustrated through 14 figures. Two appendices provide research methodology and glossary of Internet terms. (Contains 14 references.) (Author/MAS)