Public Libraries and Internet Access Across the United States: A Comparison by State 2004-2006

Jaeger, Paul T., John Carlo Bertot, Charles R. McClure, and Miranda Rodriguez. “Public Libraries and Internet Access Across the United States: A Comparison by State 2004-2006.” Information Technologies and Libraries 26, no. 2 (Jun 2007): 4-15.

This article reports the findings of the 2004 and 2005 Public Libraries and the Internet studies that continue the research started in 1994. Even though data that is more recent is available, this article discusses trends at an important point in the evolution of public libraries as access points to the Internet.

By 2006, virtually every public library in the United States had Internet access and government agencies were beginning to shift services to the internet, making access even more important than it had been previously.

One of the issues discussed in 2007 was the fact that “the data indicate that public libraries are at capacity in meeting some of [patron and government agency] expectations, while some libraries lack the funding, technology-support capacity, space, and infrastructure (e.g., power, cabling) to reach the expectations of each respective group” (4). That is, libraries were at their capacity to meet demands for Internet access, even as demand was growing.

The authors discuss differences between states, noting that states with active state libraries seemed to fare better, and they conclude that, “the state library can play a significant role in ensuring sufficiency of Internet access in public libraries in a state” (11).

They also discuss the need to identify “best practices” that more successful states can share with other states to help improve access and services.

This report also documents factors other than workstations that are integral to the subject of Internet access. These factors include the speed and quality of the connections, library hours, wireless access, and training in using the Internet.