ALA: Computer Demand Increases

摘要

While the number of public access Internet computers grew for the first time in six years-12 per branch, up from 10.7 in a year-nearly 20% of public libraries say demand for computers exceeds supply all the time, while 63% say that occurs some of the time. And while the number of library visits grew 18.6% in five years, full-time staff increased just 6%.rnSuch increased demands on libraries are documented in "Libraries Connect Communities: Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2007-2008," conducted by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Information Use Management and Policy Institute (IUMPI) at Florida State University (FSU), with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (see www.ala.org/plinternetfunding).rnThe report found that 88% of libraries offer subscription databases, 83% provide online homework resources (up 15% in a year), 71% have audiobooks and pod-casts, 62.5% include digital reference, and 52% supply ebooks. Meanwhile, 73% of libraries and 83% of rural libraries are their communities' only source of free access to computers/Internet.