BEST OF FREE REFERENCE

摘要

While broadband adoption increases every year, five to ten percent of Americans still do not have Internet access that accommodates downloading videos or even some basic web pages. This figure derives from the National Broadband Map, launched in February 2011 by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The same month, the Commerce Department issued a report, "Digital Nation: Expanding Internet Usage," which declared the importance of the Internet as a platform for continued innovation, economic growth, and social communication. The reference sites on this year's list support this assertion and should serve equally librarians supporting intermittent access communities as well as those in blanket-networked urban environments.