"I am very pleased to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on this important study,"Â noted Dr. Anne-Imelda Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. "The federal government, the foundation, and many others have invested significant resources in providing free access to computers in public libraries. The study will examine the social, economic and educational impact of computers in public libraries."Â
Previous studies about computers and public libraries in the United States have focused on how many computers are available, what kind of Internet access they provide, and how often they are used. To date very few studies have examined the benefits that computers in public libraries provide to individuals, families, and communities, or how the lack of these service impacts the public.
Free access to computers and the Internet in public libraries is nearly ubiquitous, yet maintaining and improving access requires that policymakers have data about public impact so that they can make appropriate decisions about whether to invest dollars to renew technology and information resources and provide training for public library staff and library users. Decision makers at all levels require information about public impact to analyze funding priorities. This study will provide much needed data on public impact to guide future public and private investments in these services and public policy decisions.
The Request for Proposals can be found at: www.fbo.gov. The deadline for submissions is March 26, 2007. -- www.imls.gov
Posted March 7th, 2007 by ruzik_tuzik
