Public Libraries and the Internet Overview

Public libraries provide a wide range of Internet-enabled services and resources to their communities:

• Public access computers
• Broadband connectivity, including wireless (wi-fi) access;
• Public access computers;
• Broadband connectivity, including wireless (wi-fi) access;
• Instructional programs on computer and Internet use, as well as a range of online content such as databases, health information, and government programs;
• Online resources;
• Assistance in seeking employment;
• Assistance with e-government transactions; and
• Access to secondary and higher education coursework

In many cases, the public library is the only free public computing and Internet access provider within a community.

The Public Libraries and the Internet studies provide longitudinal data back to 1994 regarding the Internet-enabled services and resources that public libraries provide, as well as the issues that public libraries encounter in serving as a public access point to the Internet. 

For more information regarding the surveys, contact Dr. John Carlo Bertot.