This well-balanced collection takes up the important issues in enabling widely available access to the Internet at a time of rapid commercialization and growth. This collection takes up the important issues in enabling widely available access to the Internet at a time of rapid commercialization and growth. The 17 contributions present material that network managers, politicians and other professionals need to know in order to ask the right questions and properly analyze the various proposals that are being considered for the future of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Chapters are grouped in five parts: the public access agenda, the sociology and culture of the Internet, establishing network communities, accommodating new classes of users, and pricing and service models.

This publication reports on research conducted to follow up on a 1997 survey of public libraries and the Internet, co-sponsored by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the American Library Association. The 1998 survey is based on a sample of 2,500 of the nation's 15,718 public library outlets. The survey found that 73.3% of public library outlets now offer public access to the Internet. However, only 68.6% offer graphical public Internet access to the World Wide Web (WWW) and only 45.3% offer graphical public access to the WWW at speeds of 56 kbps or greater. The first section contains background information: the Telecommunications Act of 1996; public policy debate; information technology, Internet and the digital economy; and public libraries as a public point of Internet presence. The second section presents the results of the 1998 survey: availability of public Internet access; public Internet access for areas with varying levels of poverty; public Internet access for urban, suburban, and rural areas; graphical public Internet access; bandwidth as a component of public Internet access; defining effective public Internet access; key measures connectivity and public Internet access, 1996-1998; number of graphical workstations as a component of effective access; use of filtering software and availability of an acceptable use policy for public Internet access. The third section discusses findings, policy issues, and commission responses: supporting ongoing surveys on public libraries and the Internet; initiating a dialog on effective public Internet access; and identifying policy questions and promoting additional research. The last section is a bibliography of 8 statistical studies funded by the commission. Five appendices contain: summary results; the survey instrument; the survey methodology; the survey results; and the contractor's analysis of the survey results. Includes 56 tables of figures.(DLS)

Publicly-supported community libraries are a critical component of the National information infrastructure (NII) initiative. This survey provides data about Internet connectivity for public libraries. 79 tables.

This book is a timely and detailed exploration of the impact and issues of the Internet in public libraries and their implications for society, policy, and professional practice. Public Libraries and the Internet: Roles, Perspectives, and Implications explores the impact of the Internet and the expansion of the networked environment on U.S. public libraries through more than a dozen essays written by leading scholars and administrators. Notwithstanding the far-reaching changes wrought by the Internet, this is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive exploration of the subject over time and across areas of practice. This wide-ranging volume, edited by the authors of several national studies tracking the use and involvement of public libraries with the Internet since 1994, offers both description and assessment. It discusses the ways in which the roles and services of public libraries have changed as a result of the Internet and offers a perspective on the meaning and impact of these changes. Perhaps most critically, it also suggests possible futures and opportunities as public libraries continue to evolve in this networked environment.

Addresses the public library community's need for practical cost information related to Internet connectivity and services. It is not a "how-to" manual for connecting libraries to the Internet. The value of this study rests more with the development of cost models, worksheets, and cost categories that can assist public libraries to determine an appropriate type of Internet connectivity and service provision given the library's need. This study seeks to improve the knowledge base of information, not to offer a comprehensive treatment of the topic.

Ten years ago, the United States stood at the forefront of the Internet revolution. With some of the fastest speeds and lowest prices in the world for high-speed Internet access, the nation was poised to be the global leader in the new knowledge-based economy. Today that global competitive advantage has all but vanished because of a series of government decisions and resulting monopolies that have allowed dozens of countries, including Japan and South Korea, to pass us in both speed and price of broadband. This steady slide backward not only deprives consumers of vital services needed in a competitive employment and business market—it also threatens the economic future of the nation. This important book by leading telecommunications policy expert Susan Crawford explores why Americans are now paying much more but getting much less when it comes to high-speed Internet access. Using the 2011 merger between Comcast and NBC Universal as a lens, Crawford examines how we have created the biggest monopoly since the breakup of Standard Oil a century ago. In the clearest terms, this book explores how telecommunications monopolies have affected the daily lives of consumers and America's global economic standing.

The rapid adoption of the Internet and computing technologies by all sectors of modern society has made them an indispensable part of our daily work and life. Access to these resources is taken for granted by public agencies providing services to the community, by those who conduct business and commerce, and by those who use them to stay current on public affairs and in touch with their families and friends on a daily basis. Yet not all individuals have consistent access to these resources. They may be unable to afford them, they may need basic training in how to use them, or they may be displaced from their normal access points. This book outlines research targeted at documenting, describing, and analysing the impact internet and computers in public libraries have on the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It describes the characteristics of people who use public access computers and Internet connections, the types of use they engage in, and the impact that use has on their own lives, that of their families and friends, and the communities they live in. The book then continues to examine the effect of library characteristics and policies on public access computing use and impact, as a first step toward helping libraries understand how some of their services may be affecting the overall success of their efforts in providing public access services to their communities.