Public Libraries and the Internet Key Findings

Public Libraries provide a range of Internet-enabled services and resources to the communities that they serve.  More specifically:

• Almost 100% of public library outlets in the United States are connected to the Internet. This compares to only 44.6% of public library systems reported being connected to the Internet 10 years ago.
• Public library public access Internet connectivity speeds continue to increase, with 25.7% of public libraries reporting connection speeds of greater than 1.5MBPS in 2008 as compared to 20.3% in 2004.
• As of 2008, 65.9% of public libraries offered wireless (wi-fi) public access as compared to 36.7% 2006.  In addition, 11.6% of public libraries reported plans to add wireless access within a year.
• 2.5% of public libraries reported that they are the only providers of free Internet access in their communities.
• There are an average of 12.0 public access workstations in public libraries.  This represents an increase from a range of 10.4 to 10.8 between 2002 and 2007.
• Libraries continue to report that the number of public access workstations they provide are insufficient some (63.1%) or all (19.4%) of the time to meet patron demand.
• Even as library connectivity speeds increase, the percentage of libraries reporting that their connection speeds are inadequate some (39.4%) or all (18.1%) of the time continue to increase.

In summary, these high level findings suggest that public libraries offer substantial public access to computers and the Internet, but face challenges in doing so.  The 2008 final report contains additional findings.

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