Archives: Expert Predictions

While steady progress is under way to address barriers of access and training, a more coordinated effort will be needed if the majority of the nation’s public libraries, especially those serving small towns and rural areas, are to provide public access to the Internet. Other issues – such as ease of use, intellectual property, and how the Internet fits into the development of a universal information superhighway – may be even more difficult to resolve, and will require coordination by a larger number of players.

As public libraries gain access to the Internet, develop staff familiarity with it, and finally provide direct public access, a host of administrative and policy issues must be addressed … They include: Privacy and security issues; Censorship – access by minors; Intellectual property and fair use of copyrighted materials; Public access to commercial information services; Whether and how to impose limits on public use when demand outstrips resources.

The Internet could link libraries further so that they could share full-text, graphic, and multimedia library resources. Libraries could link their personnel for new kinds of reference services. Libraries could have better access to non-library sources of information, such as government agencies and academic specialists. Finally, library users could have access to the local library from any location with a computer and modem. The New York State Library call this vision of the library the “Electronic Doorway” concept.

Public libraries are involved in many ‘freenets’ or community networks … Building on this advantage, libraries could provide training in the use of networks and networked information resources, give point-of-use consultation, guidance, and technical assistance, and develop on-line training and interpretive aids.

As more information services become available over the Internet, pricing mechanisms will vary. Based on library experience with current commercial electronic information services, it is likely that at least some of these services will be priced for the institutional or corporate subscriber, and not for individuals who may have only occasional need for access to only a small portion of an information source. In this environment, the public library would provide the electronic equivalent of one of its traditional functions – it would provide access to a wide variety of information sources and viewpoints regardless of a user’s economic status or research skills.

Using public libraries to access the Internet and its information resources would be a natural and logical extension of the public library mission. “Public access” … means providing public terminals at the library through which patrons could gain access to the Internet as well as allowing remote users to access the library via the Internet. Public libraries offer significant advantages in serving this public-access role. However … affordable access is still a barrier, as is the lack of user-friendliness. In addition, a commitment to this new role by any public library will involve a considerable expenditure of staff time and resources for training and support of both the library staff and the public.