Americans Believe Free Access Essential,
Says Study of Gates Foundation Program
The majority of Americans believe free access to computers and the Internet is vital, and they are willing to pay higher taxes to support it in public libraries. These findings are among those emerging from a study of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Library Program conducted by the University of Washington and scheduled for release March 15.
The foundation contracted researchers Andy and Margaret Gordon of the Public Access to Computing Project in the Evans School of Public Affairs in 1998 to begin assessing whether the objectives of the library program were being met. According to a spokesperson for the Gates Foundation, the national survey findings “indicate support for public access computing in libraries is widespread and strong.” They include the results of a national telephone survey conducted in the summers of 2000 and 2001, as well as surveys and research done with patrons and staff of libraries that have received Gates funding for computer access. The telephone survey included questions about computer use, availability, and respondents’ experience with and opinions about public libraries.
The findings will be released during the March 12–16 conference of the Public Library Association (a division of the American Library Association) in Phoenix. The researchers will participate in a panel discussion, along with Richard Akeroyd, director of the Gates Foundation’s Library Program. Early survey results are available on the foundation’s Web site.
Posted March 11, 2002.
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