ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 7, Number 149 November 30, 1998 In this issue: New Report Shows More Libraries Connect to the Internet, Access Still Limited Note: The following is a November 19 joint news release from ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries & Information Science. The number of libraries offering public access to the Internet has increased dramatically but most are able to offer only limited access due to technological limitations, according to a new survey sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS). The 1998 survey found that 73 percent of the nation's public libraries, including branches, now offer basic Internet access to the public. Another 10 percent are connected but do not offer public access. Forty-three percent have only one multimedia computer available to the public. Only about a third of libraries offering public Internet access have the technology (56kbps bandwidth or greater) needed to provide high quality access, including graphics, sound and video. A 1996 study found that only 28 percent of public library systems offered public Internet access at one or more branches. The 1998 National Survey of U.S. Public Library Outlet Internet Connectivity studied all library outlets (main and branch libraries), the poverty level of the users served by these outlets and the library's metropolitan status as urban, suburban or rural. "Libraries are connecting as fast as they can but the connections are still too slow and too few," said ALA President Ann K. Symons. "Most public libraries are able to offer only a learner's permit to the information superhighway." Symons said the survey findings underscore the importance of the new education or E-rate discounts on telecommunications services for public libraries and schools. "Previous studies have found the biggest barrier to full Internet access is cost," Symons explained. "The E-rate discounts will help many more libraries, especially those most in need, to obtain the equipment and connections they need to offer full access to the Internet." Authorized by the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, the E- rate discounts are intended to ensure that all people have access to online information, especially those in rural and poverty areas. The discounts, which range from 20 to 90 percent, are based on financial need. The first commitment letters are scheduled to be mailed to libraries and schools this week. "Libraries are helping to bridge the digital divide," said Jeanne Hurley Simon, chairperson of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, an independent federal agency. She noted that one in five public libraries serve populations with a poverty level of 20 percent or more and one in ten serve rural areas with greater than a 20 percent poverty level. "Having public Internet access available at public libraries extends the benefits of Internet access to those who lack access elsewhere or who need a public point of Internet access to supplement access that they already have at work, at school, or at home. Increasing Internet access via libraries will strengthen the role of libraries in the nation's information and telecommunications infrastructure." Simon said the report provides valuable baseline data regarding the state of Internet access in libraries prior to the release of Universal Service funding. She said it should be of particular interest to policymakers, funders and telecommunications providers, giving a more informed picture of the type of connectivity in place in libraries serving communities of varying levels of poverty and communities in rural, suburban, and urban settings. Simon noted that the report raises important questions about what constitutes effective library-based Internet access in terms of graphical capability, of adequate Internet access speed, of appropriate numbers of Internet workstations for the population served, and of efforts to target populations that lack Internet access. The survey also found that nearly every public library outlet has or is developing a policy governing acceptable Internet use. About 14 percent of public libraries use Internet filters. The survey of library connectivity was conducted by Dr. John Carlo Bertot, associate professor in the School of Information Science and Policy at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and Dr. Charles R. McClure, distinguished professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse (N.Y.) University. The study sample was selected from the file used to produce Public Libraries in the United States: FY 1994, a publication of the National Center for Education Statistics. It included 2,500 of the nation's 15,718 public library outlets. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, based in Washington, D.C., advises the president and the Congress on national and international library and information services policies and plans. The 57,000-member American Library Association based in Chicago, works to promote the highest quality library service and public access to information. The 1998 survey summary and final report are available online at http://www.ala.org/oitp/research/survey98.html. Copies are also available from the American Library Association, Office for Information Technology Policy, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C. 20004. Telephone: 202-628-8421. Fax: 202-628-8424. E-mail: oitp@alawash.org For further information, contact Frederick Weingarten, director of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, at 202-628-8421; Robert Willard, executive director of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, at 202-606-9200; John Carol Bertot at the University at Albany, 518-442-5125; or Charles R. McClure, at Syracuse University, at 315-443-2743. ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. 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