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Celebrating 25 Years

GCN Home > 03/03/08 issue

Books 2.0

Public libraries tap Web applications to open a new chapter

By Trudy Walsh

Loriene Roy, president of the American Library Association, was flying home to Austin, Texas, from a conference in Philadelphia in January. During the flight she heard that familiar ping, and an announcer said, “Turn off your electronic equipment.”

Then she heard another sound: a loud rustle as people pulled out their paper books to read.

“Nothing replaces books,” she said.

Even in the age of the Internet, libraries still remain a vital place, Roy said. According to an annual study by Florida State University, “Public Libraries and the Internet 2007” (GCN.com, Quickfind 956), library use continues to increase.

But they’re not the same as they used to be. Information technology has infiltrated the quietest book nook in the humblest U.S. public library. In addition to the Internet, libraries now offer computer games, digitized books and online help-desk chats with librarians.

“The library is a trusted place,” Roy said, “a trusted place where you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to get Internet assistance.”

More than 99 percent of U.S. public libraries offer public access to computers. The FSU study pointed to two main challenges public libraries face: refreshing the equipment and meeting the demand.

Officials from every library surveyed in the FSU study said there was at least one time during the day when they couldn’t meet the demand for Internet use, and people had to wait.

“If people don’t have the Internet at home, work or school, the library fills in that gap, leveling the digital divide,” Roy said.

Government service

The public library also is a bridge to e-government, Roy said. “Go to a library in April and see the line of people waiting to print out tax forms,” she said.

One of a public library’s main purposes is to create a safe, supportive environment for young readers. Today’s libraries will not shun one of young people’s favorite activities: computer games. The Austin Public Library, for example, holds regular Wii tournaments. A recent ALA study on libraries and gaming showed that if someone comes to the library to use computer game services, there’s a 75 percent chance the person will return to the library for other services.

More news on related topics: IT Management, State & Local, Software Applications, Web Strategies



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