The following is a press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Having trouble viewing this e-mail? Read it online at http://www.imls.gov/news/2011/061711b.shtm.
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U.S. IMPACT Study Second Report Opportunity for All: How Library Policies and Practices Impact Public Internet Access Washington, DC—Public libraries have become essential points of access to the Internet and computers in local communities, with nearly every library in the country offering public internet access. Yet, individual library practices can have significant affect on the quality and character of this public service. Opportunity for All: How Library Policies and Practices Impact Public Internet Access, offers an analysis of the service in four public library systems and makes recommendations for strategies that help to sustain and improve public access service. The report was funded through a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and was produced by the University of Washington Information School. Libraries play a vital role in providing services that are necessary in everyday life. The recommendations from this study provide a foundation to discuss the wide range of internal and external policy issues that affect the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the types of library resources and environments most patrons encounter in U.S. public libraries. “This study identifies important best practices that can help libraries improve patron experience and contribute to positive learning outcomes,” said IMLS Director Susan Hildreth. “This report will be very useful for educating the public and provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and funders as they consider future efforts in this area.” Report recommendations highlight the need to: The report's findings are based on 300 interviews with staff, users, funding agencies, community-based organizations, and support organizations in four case study sites: Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Maryland “The libraries featured in this study reflect the service environments encountered by the vast majority of library patrons across the country. We hope that all libraries will recognize themselves in the characteristics of the case studies and be able to identify policy implications related to their operations from the discussions in the report,” said Michael Crandall, senior lecturer at the University of Washington Information School and co-principal investigator of the study. This second report is a companion volume to the first report in the U.S. IMPACT Study, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries. That report estimated that 77 million people used a library computer in 2009 and that:
The full report is available at http://tascha.washington.edu/usimpact. About the University of Washington Information School About the Institute of Museum and Library Services About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |