“Libraries Connect Communities 3: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2008-2009 (216 pages; PDF),” a new report released today by the American Library Association (ALA), says libraries are serving as crucial technology hubs for people in need of free Web access, computer training, and assistance finding and using E-Government and job resources.
The study finds that more than 71 percent of all libraries (and 79 percent of rural libraries) report they are the only source of free access to computers and the Internet in their communities. Sixty-six percent of public libraries rank job-seeking services, including resume writing and Internet job searches, among the most crucial online services they offer – up from 44 percent two years ago. In a separate survey, 80 percent of New York libraries indicated they helped someone search for a job in late 2008.
[Snip]
Additional key findings on the state of Internet availability in public libraries include.
+ More than 90 percent of public libraries provide technology training such as online job-seeking and career-related classes, general Internet and computer use instruction;
+ 76 percent of public libraries offer free wireless access; and
+ 81 percent of public libraries report there are not enough public Internet computers to meet patron demand some or all of the time; increasingly, libraries are having trouble replacing outdated computer workstations due to cost.
FreePint Shop:
VIP LiveWire:
