Background
The American Library Association and the Information Use Management and Policy Institute (http://www.ii.fsu.edu) in the College of Information at Florida State University, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is surveying a national sample of public libraries regarding their Internet connectivity and computing access resources. Dr. John Carlo Bertot, Dr. Charles R. McClure, and Ms. Denise M. Davis are the study managers. This continues the biennial surveys of public library public computer and Internet access conducted by Bertot & McClure since 1994. More information regarding the overall project is available at http://www.ala.org/plinternetfunding.
The data from the enhanced study will help you to identify the impacts of your library's public computer and Internet access on the community that your library serves. The survey data also will give national and state policymakers, practitioners, library supporters, researchers, government and private funding organizations and other stakeholders a better understanding of the issues and needs that your library faces in providing public computer and Internet access services and resources. Additional information regarding this and previous studies is available at http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet.
The 2007 Survey
The 2007 National Survey of Public Library Computer and Internet Access is web-based and you may access it by clicking HERE, or selecting the "Complete Survey" tab on the right. The survey focuses on advocacy, impacts, benefits, and challenges of public access Internet services in public libraries. A particular goal of the 2007 study is to help public libraries develop advocacy strategies for developing sustainable funding sources for public access Internet services and resources.
The survey has two parts: 1) questions relevant to library branches, and 2) questions related to library systems. Please complete both parts. For many libraries, there is no distinction between a branch and a system. The web-based survey is designed to differentiate between libraries with and without branches, so it will automatically account for your library's specific situation. We encourage all public libraries in the United States to participate.
Your involvement is extremely important. Libraries will be able to participate in the survey until November 15, 2007.
If you wish to view the survey in its entirety, a PDF version [370K] of the survey questions is available. Please note that this form is NOT the interactive web survey form, and is different in appearance than the actual interactive web survey form. We are providing the PDF version for informational purposes. For your reference, a print copy of the survey was also included in the mailing we sent to all libraries announcing and explaining the study.
If you have questions about the 2007 National Survey of Public Library Computer and Internet Access, please contact the researchers at: pl2007@ci.fsu.edu, or (850) 645-5683.
Upon completion of the survey, you may register to win one of three 2 GB Ipod nanos.