Public Libraries and the Internet 2012: Key Findings, Recent Trends, and Future Challenges

John C. Bertot, Ursula Gorham, Paul T. Jaeger, Natalie Greene Taylor

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Since 1994, 14 reliable national studies have provided longitudinal data revealing and analyzing trends in the public access computing, Internet access, and technology assistance and training that public libraries make available to the communities they serve. This article provides an overview of selected data from the 2012 study; examines major issues that have emerged from the data in the most recent studies; identifies key trends and changes in Internet-enabled services and resources provided by public libraries to their communities over the course of the 18 years of conducting the national surveys; and discusses selected future issues and challenges regarding public library Internet-enabled services.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalPublic Library Quarterly
Volume31
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • community needs
  • Internet
  • literacy
  • public libraries
  • technology

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