The Policy Implications of Internet Connectivity in Public Libraries |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Library and Information Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, No. 510, Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan, ROC;2. Department of Information Management, Tainan University of Technology, Zhong Jheng Road, Tainan 710, Taiwan, ROC;3. Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei City 10617, Taiwan, ROC;4. Graduate Institute of Library & Information Studies, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10610, Taiwan, ROC;5. Department of Photonics and Communication Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 413, Taiwan, ROC;1. Wireless and Photonic Networks Research Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia;2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia;3. Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, C.P. 50000 Toluca, Mexico;4. Departamento de Física, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, P.O. Box 55-534, México, D.F. 09340, Mexico;5. CONACYT-Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Postgrado en Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas, Av. San Claudio y Av. 18 sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Pue. 72570, Mexico;6. Institute of Optoelectronics and Measuring Systems, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czestochowa University of Technology, 17 Armii Krajowej Str., 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland;7. Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, P.O. Box 800, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia |
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| Abstract: | The provision of public Internet access and related networked services by public libraries is affected by a number of information policy issues. This article analyzes the policy dimensions of Internet connectivity in public libraries in light of the data and findings from a national survey of public libraries conducted by the authors of this article. After providing a summary of the study methodology and findings, this article examines key policy issues that include the nature of sufficient bandwidth and broadband, the perpetuation of the digital divide of Internet access in libraries, the role of libraries as e-government access points, the complexities of funding Internet access, the impacts and contradictions of filtering, and the chilling effect of homeland security legislation in public libraries. This article concludes with a discussion of how examining these policy issues can lead to a better understanding of public libraries and the Internet access they offer within the context of public policy. |
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