NCLIS Completes
2000 Public Library Internet Study
The U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science has completed its sixth public library Internet study, measuring levels of connectivity, public access, training support, and technology funding, based on a sample of 1,500 of the nation’s 16,004 public library outlets. A report on its findings, titled Public Libraries and the Internet 2000: Summary Findings and Data Tables, is available on the NCLIS Web site.
The survey found that public libraries have continued to expand their Internet connections and add public-access services. Significant changes from the 1998 survey sponsored by NCLIS and ALA were reported in several areas, including an increase in the number of libraries providing public access to the Internet—94.5% overall, compared to 73.3% in 1998—and the finding that public library outlets have nearly doubled their number of public-access workstations.
Other data in the report includes speed of connectivity, the prevalence of acceptable-use policies, installation of filtering software, and the use of online database resources.
Posted September 25, 2000.
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