Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles: Measuring and Maximizing Internet Services

Citation

Neville, K. (2010), "Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles: Measuring and Maximizing Internet Services", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 332-333. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831011047785

Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles examines the place of the public library in the provision of internet services, including the expectations of library users, the community and the government. The authors have written many articles on the topic of the internet in public libraries. McClure was involved in the creation of a national survey on Public Libraries and the Internet that has been carried out every year for 15 years, and this book utilises the data obtained from the 2007 survey presented in the form of tables along with detailed discussion of the results and their implications for libraries.

Data gained from the results of the 2007 Survey on Public Libraries is examined using key service roles including reference, research and the use of a public library as an independent learning centre. Many of the results of the survey are not surprising, with insufficient computer workstations and slow bandwidth for new technologies like Web 2.0 services of major concern to library patrons. Inadequate funding, insufficient space for workstations and not enough staff with the appropriate technical expertise to maintain and upgrade technology are ongoing problems that have been faced by most libraries at some time, and these issues were highlighted in the survey.

Ideas gained from some of the data, such as the survey on the critical content of public‐access internet services outlined in Table 11, indicate the areas of concern for libraries and could be used to find new ways to improve library services. The important topic of internet training for library staff is also covered in Chapter 4, as library clients often require assistance from staff in many areas, including accessing and saving files, sending emails, scanning documents, formatting complex documents and inserting photographs into text. As a result, library employees need current knowledge of computer software and hardware to assist those users who have inadequate computer skills yet high expectations.

This book is a current and concise explanation of the issues surrounding the provision of internet services in public libraries, and it is different from other books written on this topic as this volume places emphasis on the wider issues, such as education, community involvement and literacy issues rather than focussing on a narrow range of issues such as the number of computer workstations. In addition, this book has a focus on the social implications of internet services in libraries and the growing expectations of patrons, local community members and even the government, in terms of legislative requirements.

Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles examines all aspects of the topic of providing internet services in libraries from the social aspects of internet access, through technology issues to future challenges. As an ALA publication, the work has a US focus, and some of the issues are irrelevant to other countries (such as the “e‐rate program” and legislative requirements in America including the USA Patriot Act). However, many of the issues that public libraries deal with every day are universal. While the book is expensive, it contains many interesting ideas for discussion backed up with data that could be used by library professionals to design a survey of client internet usage and expectations. This book is designed for librarians, information science educators and students of library science and would be a useful purchase for libraries to aid with professional development for staff and to provide insight into problems that occur with internet provision in a public library setting.