Public libraries have evolved into a primary source of Internet access in many communities, generating wide-ranging impacts in the communities that public libraries serve. Based on the findings of the 2007 Public Libraries and the Internet study, this article examines the ways in which the Internet access delivered by public libraries affects…

U.S. public libraries provide free public internet services to the communities that they serve, but require robust, high-speed broadband internet connections to continue meeting public demands. The 2008-2009 "Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study" ("PLFTAS") illustrates challenges that public libraries encounter in achieving broadband…

The proposed research project is designed to better understand the impact of organizational information processing variables on other organizational variables such as the organizational climate. A brief summary of the research related to organizational information processing and climate is followed by a suggested research design to study…

This report describes a cooperative library project in which a public, a university, and a high school library in Oklahoma collaborated to (1) acquaint high school students, college freshmen, and other area patrons with the library resources available to them in the city of Chickasha; (2) instruct them in the use of library resources; and (3) give…

Presents a model for the development of statewide levels of adequacy for public libraries. Recent developments affecting the profession's thinking about standards are reviewed, various dimensions of the concept of standards are discussed, and issues that remain to be resolved are identified. (Author/JD)

Presents a planning guide for implementation of online services at a public library, consisting of: (1) identification of public service goals and online reference objectives, (2) needs assessment, (3) manipulating the political environment, (4) project description, (5) time schedule, (6) preliminary budget, and (7) evaluation. (SW)

Examines the gap between developing communication technologies available to the public and the public's ability to employ them. Highlights include the federal government's policy on universal Internet access; factors that negatively affect public library involvement in Internet access; and elements involved in clarifying the role of public…

Coauthor of two widely cited manuals on public library planning and evaluation says continued reliance on the works may be detrimental and suggests five additional areas to include in a revised planning manual: future visioning; locally developed service roles; planning for technology; managing evaluation data; and community needs assessment.…

The purpose of this research was to explore the possible roles and responsibilities that public libraries might assume in the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Data was collected from September 1994 through June 1995, relying on the following data collection techniques: focus groups, personal interviews, survey data analysis, case…

This report is the result of the statutory mandate by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to promote activities to extend the nation's library and information handling capability as essential links in the emerging global information infrastructure. In a study to inventory the challenges related to libraries' roles…

This study examined what would happen when rural librarians were given the tools and training to use networked information resources. Project GAIN demonstrates the effectiveness of linking rural communities to the Internet. Through the local library, six rural communities in New York were connected to a regional network (NYSERNet) and through…

This document is the final report of the NCLIS (National Commission on Libraries and Information Science) study on public libraries and the Internet. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature, extent, and form of public library involvement with the Internet. Data were obtained from a survey of a national sample of public libraries…

Reports on the method and findings of a study which used unobtrusive testing to measure the accuracy and efficiency of search strategies by library personnel when dealing with the technical report literature. A copy of the test questions used in this study is appended. (CLB)

Reports results of unobtrusive testing of reference service (asking reference questions of library staff who are unaware of being evaluated) in government documents and central reference areas of 26 U.S. libraries. Accuracy of answers, interview and search process duration, referral, and use of catalog and technology are highlighted. (12…

Five performance measures suggested for use in public libraries are discussed in relation to corporate information centers: corporate awareness of library services; clients as percentage of jurisdiction population; reference transactions per capita; reference fill rate; timeliness of information delivery. Planning and survey questionnaires for…