U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science

(NCLIS)

Jeanne Hurley Simon, Chairperson Diane B. Frankel (ex-officio)

Martha B. Gould, Vice Chair Mary S. Furlong

C. E. “Abe” Abramson José-Marie Griffiths

Walter Anderson Frank J. Lucchino

James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress Bobby L. Roberts

(Winston Tabb, serves for the Librarian of Congress) Joel D. Valdez

LeVar Burton Robert S. Willard

Joan R. Challinor

The views, opinions, and recommendations expressed in this report are

those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position or

policy of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information

Science.

For copies of this report, contact:

U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science

1110 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Suite 820

Washington, DC 20005-3522

(202) 606-9200 phone

(202) 606-9203 fax

Electronic versions of this report are available at the following:

http://www.nclis.gov/

http://research.umbc.edu/~bertot/files.html

Artwork© by Agnes Ainilian


Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure i

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .................................................... 1

METHODOLOGY .................................................... 2

ISSUES AND STRATEGIES ........................................... 3

Federal Information Policies ......................................... 3

Reaching 100% Public Library Connectivity ......................... 4

Importance of Internet-Based Services Rather Than Connectivity ........ 6

Universal Service ............................................... 7

Subsidizing Public Library Connection Costs ......................... 8

Public Access to Electronic Government Information .................. 9

Effectiveness of the Library Services and Technology Act for 

Public Libraries .......................................... 11

Complexity of Internet-Related Costs .............................. 11

Need for a New National Data Collection Paradigm .................. 12

Role of the Federal Government .................................. 14

Multiple Federal Public Library Policies and Programs ............... 14

Public Library Policy Issues ........................................ 16

Thinking Locally in a Global Networked Environment ................ 16

The Endless Upgrade ........................................... 16

Focus on Network-Based Services ................................. 17

Identifying, Describing, and Defining Internet-Related Costs .......... 17

Redeploying Library Resources ................................... 18

Comprehensive Internet Costs and Statistics Management ............ 19

Performance Measures and Statistics for Networked Services .......... 19

Resource Sharing .............................................. 20

New Models for Learning and Applying Internet Skills ............... 20

Developing Public Library Networked Services ......................... 20

Additional Research ............................................ 21

New Roles .................................................... 21

Moving Beyond Connectivity ..................................... 23

REFERENCES ..................................................... 23

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ............................................. 26
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure ii

FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1. 1994-1997 Connectivity and Projected Public Library 

Internet Connectivity .............................................. 4

Figure 2. U.S. Population Served by Public Libraries Connected to the

Internet ......................................................... 5

Figure 3. Connected Public Library Type of Internet ....................... 6

Table 1. Summary of Key Issues ....................................... 22
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 1

INTRODUCTION

In spring 1997, the American Library

Association (ALA) and National Commission on

Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS)

sponsored the 1997 Public Libraries and the

Internet study (hereafter referred to as the 1997

Study) (Bertot, McClure, and Fletcher, 1997).

This study was the third such study, building

upon the 1994 and 1996 studies sponsored by

NCLIS (Bertot, McClure, and Zweizig, 1996;

McClure, Bertot, and Zweizig, 1994). While the

first study emphasized public library connectivity, type of connectivity, and types of

library Internet uses, the second and third

studies reflected a changing electronic

networked policy and technical environment,

and emphasized library connectivity, type of

connectivity, public access service provision,

and Internet-related costs.

The 1997 Study final report presents

detailed data concerning public library

involvement with and use of the Internet. The

report includes such data as factors affecting

public library involvement with the Internet;

types of Internet connections and technologies;

types of public library public Internet access

services such as on-line databases, CD-based

services, and special hardware/software for

persons with disabilities; library Internetrelated costs as a portion of total library

information technology (IT) budgets; anticipated library Internet expenditures; and library

ratings of Internet services and technologies.

Readers are encouraged to review the final

report, which forms a critical basis for understanding this policy paper.

The 1997 Study shows that libraries are

connecting rapidly to the Internet, are

providing increased public access to the

Internet, and are increasingly offering

electronic networked services to patrons. At

present, 72.3% of public libraries have some

type of Internet connection.1 The study also

shows, however, that the distribution of

Internet connectivity, costs, and service provision are not equal across library population of

legal service areas or urban/rural status

(American Library Association, 1997).

It is important to note that public libraries

will continue to connect to the Internet and

provide increased public access to Internet

services. Indeed, by May 1998, approximately

86% of public libraries will have an Internet

connection. Moreover, those libraries will serve

approximately 97% of the U.S. population.

Thus, the libraries that do not plan to connect

are most likely to be rural, small, and serve a

small portion of the U.S. population.

On the surface, the connectivity statistics

are impressive. Readers should note, however,

that libraries generally disagree, across all

population of legal service areas and urban/

rural categories, that their public access

Internet services are adequate. In particular,

libraries indicate that patrons do not have

adequate access to public access workstations

and that those workstations are not sufficiently

equipped for today’s multimedia requirements.

While the public library Internet

connectivity percentages are compelling,

libraries that have Internet connections use

predominantly dial-up technology to connect to

the Internet. Although a majority of public

libraries provide graphical access to the

Internet, most do so over a single dedicated

phone line at rates of 33.6kbps or less (a

majority--49%--at 28.8kbps). For libraries that

do have leased-lines, a majority--56%--still use

56kbps lines. While 27% of public libraries

have T1 lines, discussions with survey respondents and author experience in other studies,

indicate that most of the T1 lines are fractional,

with 56kbps lines connecting library system

branches to the main library’s services. Thus,

readers should not be surprised when responding libraries rate their Internet connections as

somewhat inadequate.

Given the current policy environment of

universal service as provided in the Telecom1This report references data that appear in

Bertot, McClure, and Fletcher (1997).
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 2

munications Act of 1996 (TCA) (P.L. 104-104)

and the Library Services and Technology Act

(P.L. 104-208) (LSTA), these findings raise

difficult questions that policy makers, library

professionals, and researchers should consider

for public library Internet service provision:

• What is universal service in the networked environment? Is it:

< Connectivity?

< Not just connectivity, but a certain

level of connectivity?

< Services provision over the

network?

< A combination of a certain level of

connectivity and a level of services

provision?

• Given the percentage/anticipated percentage of library Internet connectivity, has universal service been

achieved for public libraries?

• What measures are necessary to assess,

evaluate, and improve public library

electronic networked services?

• How can public libraries better use,

develop, and influence the creation of

networked services to meet the needs of

their communities?

• What new management strategies must

libraries adopt to best meet the challenges of networked technologies?

Answers to such questions are not easy to

derive. Careful consideration of these and

other questions is necessary to inform policy

makers and library professionals as to the best

means possible to facilitate the ongoing

transition of public libraries into the electronic

networked environment.

This report is neither a review of the

literature related to public libraries and the

Internet, nor it is not a comprehensive policy

analysis of federal information policies affecting

public libraries. Rather, this report discusses

selected issues regarding public library Internet

connectivity, costs, and use. This report discusses the implications of the 1997 Study and,

where possible, presents policy recommendations related to the study’s findings. Overall,

this report suggests the importance of federal

policy and library management in considering

issues beyond simply connecting to the

Internet.

METHODOLOGY

The 1997 Study drew a weighted sample of

2,000 public library systems to be able to

provide national estimates of public library

Internet connectivity, costs, and use. The

sample was stratified by five population of legal

service area categories (million+, 500,000-

999,999, 100,000-499,999, 25,000-99,999, 5,000-

24,999, and less than 5,000) and three

metropolitan status codes (CC=Central City

[Urban], NC=Metropolitan Area, but not within

central city limits [Suburban], NO=Not in a

Metropolitan Area [Rural]).

The 1997 Study used the Public Libraries

in the United States: 1994 data, an annual

public library data collection collaboration

between the National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES), NCLIS, and state library

agencies, from which to draw the sample

(NCES, 1997). This annual data collection

activity produces a variety of public libraryrelated data from all U.S. public libraries that

NCES reports.

The study team based the initial draft of the

survey instrument on the form used in 1996,

modifying it to reflect the current Internet

technology and policy environment, Internet

cost factors, and public library management

issues. In addition, an Advisory Board for this

study provided suggestions for topics to address

concerning public library involvement with the

Internet. The 1997 survey incorporated key

questions from the 1994 and 1996 surveys to

provide longitudinal data for 1994-1996 public

library Internet involvement changes. The

survey instrument was pre-tested, revised, and

finalized in April 1997. The final version of the
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 3

survey was sent to the 2,000 public libraries in

the sample during May 1997. A total of 1,426

surveys were returned, for a response rate of

71.3%. The responding library weights were

recalculated to compensate for nonresponding

libraries.

Readers interested in a more detailed

description of the survey’s methodology should

refer to the 1997 Study final report.

ISSUES AND STRATEGIES

The 1997 Study provides a range of data

and findings from which it is possible to

identify and discuss a number of policy issues.

It is possible to organize these policy issues in

terms of issues related to (1) federal

information policies, and (2) public libraries.

The purpose of this section is to describe and

discuss selected key policy issues in each of

these areas and, when possible, to offer options

and strategies for dealing with these issues.

The issues identified and discussed in the

following sections are not exhaustive. Indeed,

numerous other issues related to public

libraries and the Internet deserve attention.

The issues discussed here evolve directly or

indirectly from the data obtained from the 1997

Study. At the federal level, information policies

dealing with encryption, First Amendment

rights, privacy, copyright and intellectual

property rights, and censorship--to name a few-

-also are critically important to the

development of the Internet and how public

libraries can best use--both as providers and

consumers of electronic resources--the Internet.

For individual public libraries, issues

related to filtering access to selected Internet

services and resources, promoting equal access

to the Internet, planning and evaluating library

IT infrastructures, developing partnerships

with other organizations in the use of the

Internet, and funding network technology and

services--to name a few--also are critically

important to the success with which the library

uses the Internet and the global networked

environment.

In short, there are numerous federal

information policy issues and local public

library issues that deserve attention,

discussion, and resolution. Unfortunately,

they cannot all be reviewed here. Those

discussed below, however, appear to be

especially important both for their long-term

impacts on public libraries and for their

pervasiveness in affecting the role of public

libraries in the evolving global networked

environment (Gore, 1995). 

Federal Information Policies

Findings from the 1997 Study suggest a

number of areas in which there is a need to

review and debate federal information policies

as they relate to the role of public libraries in

the evolving National Information Infrastructure (NII). The NII Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) Committee on

Applications and Technology noted in a

January 25, 1994, document that libraries are

one of seven major application areas for the NII

(IITF, 1994, p. 3): 

 

For education and for libraries, all teachers

and students in K-12 schools and all public

libraries [authors’ emphasis]--whether in

urban suburban, or rural areas; whether in

rich or in poor neighborhoods--need access

to the educational and library services

carried on the NII. All commercial establishments and all workers must have

equal access to the opportunities for

electronic commerce and telecommuting

provided by the NII. Finally, all citizens

must have equal access to government

services provided over the NII.

President Bill Clinton commented in his State

of the Union address in January 23, 1997

(Clinton, 1997):

In our schools, every classroom in America

must be connected to the information

superhighway, with computers and good

software, and well-trained teachers. We

are working with the telecommunications

industry, educators, and parents to connect
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 4

44.4%

72.3%

85.8%

8.2%

16.6%

11.9% 10.5%

75.3%

60.4%

12.7%

27.8%

20.9%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

1994 1996 1997 1998

Public Library Internet Connectivity by Year

Percentage of Public Library Internet Connectivity

Library Staff Only Access

Public Access

Total

* * Projected Connectivity

 by May 1998

Figure 1. 1994-1997 Connectivity and Projected Public Library Internet Connectivity.

. . . every classroom and every library

[authors’ emphasis] in the entire United

States by the year 2000. I ask Congress to

support this education technology initiative

so that we can make sure this national

partnership succeeds. must have equal

access to government services provided over

the NII.

The vision of connecting libraries and schools,

while a useful first step in the NII, will not in

and of itself necessarily ensure the successful

use and application of the information

superhighway. A range of issues other than

connectivity requires attention and debate.

Reaching 100% Public Library Connectivity

As of spring 1997, 72.3% of public libraries

had some type of Internet connection, as

compared to 20.9% in 1994 (McClure, Bertot,

and Zweizig, 1994) (see Figure 1--Figure 9 of

the 1997 Study). The overall level of Internet

connectivity for public libraries varies greatly,

however, by the population public libraries

serve, with 1997 data suggesting that public

libraries in larger population areas have

significantly higher rates of Internet connectivity (100% for libraries with population of legal

service areas of greater than one million) than

public libraries in smaller population areas

(56.3% for libraries with population of legal

service areas of less than 5,000). A substantial

difference also exists in public library connectivity between urban libraries (86.9% for central
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 5

12.6%

5.8%

78.2%

90.8% 91.3%

97.1%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

100.0%

1997 1998

U.S. Population Served by Year

Percentage of U.S. Population Served

Library Staff Only Access

Public Access

Total Access

* *

** Projected U.S. Population Served

 by May 1998

* Based on U.S. Population of 

268,505,969 (Census, 1997)

Figure 2. U.S. Population Served by Public Libraries Connected to the Internet.*

city libraries) and rural (66.0% for non-central

city libraries) libraries. Thus, public library

Internet connectivity is neither equal nor even

throughout the nation. 

The 1997 Study data projects that by spring

1998, 85.8% of all public libraries will have

some type of connection to the Internet and

that 75.3% of all public libraries will provide

public access to the Internet (see Figure 1). By

using population of legal service area data

contained in the public library Universe File

(NCES, 1997), an estimated 90.8% of the U.S.

population is served by a connected public

library (see Figure 2). Of that 90.8%, 78.2% of

the U.S. population has access to a public

library that provides public access to the

Internet. By combining planned Internet

connectivity and population data, nearly the

entire nation--97.1%--should have access to a

connected public library, and 91.3% should

have access to a public library providing public

access to the Internet by spring of 1998.2 But

at what cost and with what benefits should

current and future policy continue to strive for

100% connectivity?

The 1997 Study data suggest that

approximately 27.7% of public libraries that

serve 9.2% of the population remain to be

connected to the Internet as of May 1997 (see

Figure 2--Figure 10 of the 1997 Study). The

data also show that these public libraries have

small communities, typically 5,000 or under,

and often are located in rural areas. For a host

of reasons, the costs to connect the last 27.7% of

public libraries and the costs for those

2The 1997 Study surveyed public library

systems. Key and necessary data for the future

are the percentage of connected library

branches within the approximately 16.3% of

public library systems that have branches. 
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 6

73.6%

38.2%

22.8%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

Dial-Up Leased-Line Both

Figure 3. Connected Public Library Type of Internet Connection.

libraries to provide networked services are

likely to be significant. At what point is it

possible to say that public libraries are

providing adequate connectivity to the public?

at a 90% connectivity rate? when 90% of public

libraries provide Web-based information resources and services? Perhaps the attention should

shift now from connectivity to the provision of

networked services.

Importance of Internet-Based Services Rather

Than Connectivity

An important relationship exists between

the type of Internet connection a public library

has and its ability to provide a range of

services. The 1997 Study shows that 73.6% of

connected public libraries rely on dial-up

modems, while only 38.2% rely on leased-line

connectivity (see Figure 3--Figure 11 of the

1997 Study). Given the extent and

sophistication of information resources and

services now available on various websites,

dial-up access simply is inadequate to provide

access to that information, interactive services

with other organizations, or sophisticated

applications that include interactive video

conferencing and extensive graphics.

As discussed elsewhere (McClure and

Bertot, 1997b), public libraries exist in a range

of very different environments that use

multiple types of connections, receive various

types of state and local assistance, work in a

variety of networking consortia, and serve

communities that often vary considerably from

library to library. In this context, the key issue

now is less the degree to which the nation’s

public libraries have an Internet connection,

but rather the:
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 7

• Degree to which specific levels of

connectivity (e.g., 28.8kbps versus a T1

leased-line) affect services development

and the extent and types of Internetbased services that public libraries can

provide given that connection;

• Extent to which public library Internet

connectivity and Internet-based

services meet community information

needs;

• Means through which public library IT

infrastructures are evolving, their

costs, the degree to which these infrastructures integrate various electronic

and networked services, and the

funding mechanisms of these infrastructures; and

• Need to develop specific criteria to

assess when “universal service” to the

public has been accomplished as per the

TCA.

The goal of 100% connectivity to the Internet by

public libraries by the year 2000 may in fact be

the wrong goal. Perhaps the better goal to

drive national policy is that 100% of public

libraries will be able to provide a range of highquality, Internet-based services with high

bandwidth (e.g., capable of full-motion video)

that best meet the needs of their communities

and best link those communities to the global

informa-tion infrastructure (Gore, 1995).

National goals related to “connectivity” alone

may be short-sighted.

Universal Service

The TCA, the first significant legislative

overhaul to the Communications Act of 1934,

essentially updated a variety of key aspects of

the telecommunications industry, creating a

more market-driven industry that relies on

competition to foster lower telecommunications

rates throughout the nation (Mueller, 1997).

Section 254b offers the following principles to

advance universal service:

• Quality and rates: Quality services

should be available at just, reasonable,

and affordable rates.

• Access to advanced services: Access to advanced telecommunications

and information services should be

provided to all regions of the Nation.

• Access in rural and high cost areas:

Consumers in all regions of the Nation,

including low-income consumers and

those in rural, insular, and high cost

areas, should have access to

telecommunications and information

services . . . that are reasonably comparable to those services provided in

urban areas and that are available at

rates that are reasonable comparable to

rates charged for similar services in

urban areas.

• Equitable and nondiscriminatory

contributions: All providers of telecommunications services should make

an equitable and non-discriminatory

contribution to the preservation and

advancement of universal service.

• Access to advanced telecommunications services for schools, health

care, and libraries: Elementary and

secondary schools and classrooms,

health care providers, and libraries

should have access to advanced

telecommunications services as described in subsection (h).

• Additional principles: Such other

principles as the Federal-State Joint

Board and the Commission determine

are necessary and appropriate for the

protection of the public interest,
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 8

convenience, and necessity and are consistent

with this Act.3

These principles do not define the concept of

“universal service.” Rather, the TCA left the

definition process to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the FederalState Joint Board. The notion of universal

service, however, implies some baseline or

minimal level of Internet services that the

federal government assures the public it can

access and use. For example, the government

could assure the public that they are entitled

to, minimally, professional assistance for how to

use Internet-and Web-based services and obtain

basic government services via the network. 

Existing policy discussions of universal

service--especially those from the FCC--fail to

differentiate between requirements for first

providing access (connectivity), and then for

determining what services, if any, should be

made universally available (Werbach, 1997).

Indeed, the FCC defined universal service

essentially in terms of the wiring,

communications hardware, and telecommunications services (FCC, 1997). Furthermore, policy makers often fail to recognize that

providing access, say a 28.8kbps dial-up from

the local public library, may still not provide

appropriate services from the public library.

Moreover, the FCC does not discuss the

extensiveness of connectivity--e.g., ratio of dialup lines to users. Thus, one could consider a

single dial-up line in a public library as

connectivity.4 Access to information resources

is not provision of networked services.

While the specific implementation and

impact of the Universal Service Fund (USF)

itself on public library Internet connectivity

remains unclear, it is important to note that the

existence of the USF may provide unintended

benefits to the public library community.

Discussions by the authors with state

librarians, state library staff, and public library

directors indicate that the proposed

telecommunications services discount structure

for public libraries and schools has brought

previously disparate communities--public

libraries, schools, public service commissions, to

name a few--together to form statewide and

local connectivity strategies. This is a valuable

step forward in creating a state and local

collaborative process for access to and the

provision of electronic networked services.

Subsidizing Public Library Connection Costs

The universal service provision of the TCA

specifically directed the FCC to create a

discount structure for telecommunications

services for schools, libraries, and rural health

care institutions (P.L. 104-104, Section 254).

Based on the broad guidelines established by

the TCA, the FCC issued its final universal

service rulemaking in May 1997. In this ruling,

the FCC created the following (Federal

Communications Commission, 1997, Section X):

• $2.25 billion annual discount fund for

schools and libraries; and

• Telecommunications discount structure

ranging from 20%-90% for telecommunications services. The discount

3

In its May 1997 ruling, the FCC and Joint

Board added the principle of Technology

Neutral. The intent of this principle is for the

universal service process of the FCC and Joint

Board not to promote the attainment of universal service through any particular

telecommuni-cation technologies.

4For example, Baltimore County Public

Library in Maryland (population of legal service

area of 500,000-999,999) and Lee County

Library in North Carolina (population of legal

service area of 25,000-99,999) would both be

considered connected with a single dial-up

Internet connection.
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 9

rate a school or library can receive

depends on the percentage of students

on school lunch programs and the

location (urban/rural) of the school or

library.

The universal service provisions of the TCA and

the FCC implementation of those provisions are

aimed specifically at increasing the level of

connectivity of schools and libraries to the

Internet. But, as suggested above, subsidizing

connectivity costs may not be the best place to

support the development of Internet-based

services. In addition, the 1997 Study shows

that public libraries currently have a number of

Internet-related costs that are paid by sources

outside the library (pp. 61-63). How will the

USF awards affect these existing “subsidies”

that public libraries currently receive?

The “E-Rate,” or education rate, is the term

used to describe the subsidy that schools and

libraries may request from the USF.

Telecommunications carriers must now offer

their lowest rates to elementary and secondary

schools, and to public libraries. In addition,

schools and libraries can receive an additional

20-90% discount on top of the lowest

corresponding rate for telecommunications

services, Internet access, and internal connections.

As this report is written in December 1997,

the procedures for how schools and libraries are

to obtain subsidies for connectivity costs is

unclear. Updates on the implementation of the

E-Rate can be found at <http://www.

eratehotline.org/>. Basing these subsidies on

“poverty levels” of the community served by the

public library may not be an effective means to

determine such subsidies. Also, there may be a

need to reconsider the issue of subsidizing

connectivity costs rather than some other

aspect of networked services, such as the

provision of local services or providing public

access to and services related to Internet-based

government information. 

There is an ongoing policy debate as to how

the USF and the Schools and Library

Corporation should operate and award the

funds (“OMB Approves,” 1997). The process for

obtaining and completing the application forms

by schools and libraries may be complex and

require information not easily obtained. In

addition, a lawsuit filed by Southwestern Bell

against the FCC alleging that requiring the

Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) to

contribute to the USF is illegal remains

undecided (Mendels, 1997). In short, policy

related to the USF and the awarding of funds to

schools and libraries is ambiguous, contentious,

and unlikely to be easily resolved in the near

term. How much of the $2.25 billion in the

USF will actually support improved school and

public library connectivity remains to be seen.

Finally, the RBOCs and long distance

carriers (e.g., AT&T) continue to maneuver to

resist the implementation and execution of the

USF. Indeed, AT&T and MCI indicated that

they will pass on USF costs to the consumer

through a fee on consumer long distance

services (ALAWON, 1997). These tactics

appear to be working, as the FCC indicated

that it may reduce the USF by $750 million

(leaving a total of $1.8 billion for libraries and

schools) (Schiesel, 1997). Such strategies make

the future of the USF uncertain at best.

Public Access to Electronic Government

Information

The NII has a number of goals related to

providing government information resources

and services to the public (e.g., United States

Advisory Council on the National Information

Infrastructure, 1996). A vast array of

information is available only through the

government--and increasingly available via

government Web sites (Notess, 1997;

<http://www.law.vill.edi/Fed-Agency/

fedwebloc.html>. The federal government is

constructing numerous homepages in

recognition of the perceived effectiveness of the

Web for public access to public information.

Some sites, such as the webpage that

coordinates access to federal statistics

<http://www.fedstats.gov> provide information

that simply is unavailable elsewhere. 
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 10

Web-based government information is an

exceptionally rich resource for Internet users,

since it presents a multimedia information

format that promotes and allows a range of

information access and presentation options

unavailable in a print format (Wyman and

McClure, 1997). The Web's popularity derives

largely from this multimedia environment. A

near “gold rush” mentality currently exists in

federal agencies to post information and create

services on the Web. Thus, public information

stakeholders can expect more government

information to be made available electronically

and via the network--not less. Moreover, these

services and information may only be made

available electronically.

Given this environment, and the Clinton

Administration’s initiatives to improve the

public’s access to government information and

services, the role of the public library to assist

the public in access to this information is

important. Having great expanses of networked government information and services

available without a delivery system, people to

provide assistance and support, and highquality workstations and telecommunications

access will have negative affects on this policy

goal. The 1997 Study data show, however, that

73% of public libraries with some form of

Internet connection rely on dial-up access--

typically from a 28.8kbps modem. 

Such connectivity is inadequate if public

libraries are to serve effectively in providing

public access to government information

resources and services. As interactive video

conferencing, color graphics, and other

applications become necessary for the provision

of services, high bandwidth connections at

public libraries are essential. Thus, the policy

issue of moving from “some connectivity” to

“high bandwidth” and “adequate connectivity”

takes on increased importance if public libraries

are to play a significant role in the provision of

electronic government information resources

and services.

Public access to government information

can also be enhanced with a revised and

revitalized Government Printing Office (GPO)

Depository Library Program (DLP). As this

report is written, efforts are under way to draft

new legislation to update the parts of Title 44 of

the United States Code that deal with the GPO

and the DLP. Revisions to enhance public

access to government information might

include:

• Preservation of the DLP, but in an

electronic and networked structure that

better coordinates (not necessarily

centralizes) government information.

An argument can be made that there is

less need for 1,400 depository libraries

than for fewer such libraries that are

better connected with higher

bandwidth and more staff.

• Providing some direct support to

selected libraries--including public

libraries--for providing direct access to

government information resources and

service. The reality is that many

librarians serve as surrogate federal

employees in assisting the public find

government resources and use

government service.

• Developing mechanisms that better

coordinate agency dissemination of

government information via their

websites and ensure that there is some

type of locator system (Moen and

McClure, 1997) that can search across

agency websites effectively to access the

information and services on those

websites.

Ultimately, the federal government has

responsibilities to ensure the dissemination of

and access to public information to the nation.

Public libraries have an opportunity to develop

more roles than those of disseminating and

accessing information in the networked environment, such as supporting public use of

government services via the Internet. 

Rethinking how the DLP can best operate

in this global networked environment is
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 11

essential (“Panel Reaches Accord,” 1997).

Equally important is for specific federal actions

to enhance the role of libraries to improve the

public’s access to government services. Vice

President Al Gore stated in Access America:

Reengineering through Information Technology

that a key policy initiative was, in fact,

“Improve the Public’s Access to Government

Services” (Gore, 1997, pp. 5-14.) Conspicuous

by its absence were specific recommendations

or actions that involved public libraries in this

policy initiative.

Effectiveness of The Library Services and

Technology Act for Public Libraries

The impact of LSTA (P.L. 104-208) on

public libraries and their transition to the

global networked environment is unclear.

LSTA, signed into law on September 30, 1996,

marked a change in the direction of federally

funded library initiatives from that of its

predecessor the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) in several key ways:

• LSTA consolidates portions of the

Higher Education Act that related to a

variety of national level library needs;

• LSTA is now administered by the

Institute for Museum and Library

Services (IMLS);

• LSTA applies to nearly all types of

libraries, not just public libraries;

• LSTA increases the emphasis on

electronic networking activities; and

• LSTA requires states to evaluate and

report on the impact of LSTA-funded

initiatives.

Taken together, these key components of LSTA

create a new federal-state-library funding

environment that emphasizes collaboration,

performance, and technological innovation.

As this report is being written, the IMLS

has proposed draft guidelines for 1998 National

Leadership Grants, which may be accessed at

<http://www.ims.fed.us/guidelines/natlead.

pdf>. Subtle but important differences are

evident between the funding guidelines

proposed by IMLS and those traditionally

produced under the LSCA. Since funds made

available through LSTA and the National

Leadership Grants will have an important

impact as a catalyst to move public libraries

(and other organizations) into the networked

environment, the final version of these

guidelines is an important policy issue. Equally

important will be to review and assess what

organizations actually received what types of

awards as a result of this new program.

Given the debate and effort that went into

the development of LSTA, it is still too early to

determine how this act will help accomplish

Clinton Administration goals related to

promoting the role of public libraries in the NII.

There is a need to develop efforts, however, to

monitor carefully the guidelines for IMLS’ distribution of grants, the kinds of grants that are

funded, the extent to which public libraries are

successful in this grant competition, and an

overall evaluation of the degree to which LSTA

goals are, in fact, accomplished.

Complexity of Internet-Related Costs

As indicated in this report and the 1997

Study final report, determining the costs of

library Internet services is complicated at best.

While numerous reasons exist for this complexity, three critical reasons are that (1) a

library uses the same equipment to provide

multiple services (e.g., a library workstation

can provide users with access to the library’s

catalog as well as the Internet); (2) libraries

connect to the Internet through multiple and

varied arrangements (e.g., through regional

consortia, a statewide network, and/or both);

and (3) for political reasons, some costs are

hidden, charged against other agencies, or

simply not reported. 

This situation will only continue to increase

in complexity. Federal, state, and local funding

and connectivity programs are specifically
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 12

encouraging and promoting collaborative, costsharing, and cross-agency approaches to

building the NII. It will become increasingly

difficult, therefore, to determine exactly who or

what is responsible for what parts of a network,

its services, or its costs. Moreover, conversations with study participants indicate that

such accountability may not be of interest to

librarians, since the services are seamless and

the costs for the services do not appear on the

library’s budget.

The lack of clear and reasonably precise

cost data, however, means that studies such as

the 1997 Study will more than likely under

report the actual cost of national public library

connectivity. This lack of accurate library cost

data may affect the determination of the size

and continuation of the USF and other policy

initiatives that affect the role of public libraries

in the global networked environment.

Need for a New National Data Collection

Paradigm

Although information on connectivity, use,

and costs--as reported in the 1997 Study--are

important, policy makers and the public library

community may need to reassess the types of

national data that will be required in the future

to continue the discussion of the role of public

libraries in the NII and the evolving global

networked environment.

Current longitudinal national data

collection efforts for public libraries and the

electronic networked environment are

irregular, funded on an ad-hoc basis, and tend

to collect data that reflect the ability and

willingness of libraries essentially to count and

“check off” various electronic services (Bertot,

McClure, and Fletcher, 1997; Bertot, McClure,

and Zweizig, 1996; McClure, Bertot, and

Zweizig, 1994). These data include:

• Type and level of Internet connection;

• Types, capabilities, and location of

public access workstations;

• Types and availability of publicly

available network-based services, such

as databases, Web access, and remote

dial-in capabilities;

• Internet/network services costs and

payment responsibilities (e.g., who pays

for those services); and

• Factors affecting Internet connectivity

(e.g., costs).

The networked environment, however, is much

more complex than such data collection

activities reflect. Indeed, research by the

authors (Bertot and McClure, 1996) shows that

a network is a multi-dimensional entity that

encompasses minimally the following:

• Technical infrastructure: The hardware, software, equipment, communication lines, and technical aspects of

the network;

• Information content: The information resources available on the network;

• Information services: The activities

in which users can engage and the

services that users may use to complete

various tasks;

• Support: The assistance and support

services provided to help users better

use the network; and

• Management: The human resources,

governance, planning, and fiscal

aspects of the network.

Data collection activities, therefore, must begin

to reflect this multi-dimensionality of electronic

networks.

Rather than solely concentrating on the

technical infrastructure and services aspects of

a network, as do current data collection

activities, there is a need to collect data that

begins to describe network services and content
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 13

using a new data collection paradigm. This

paradigm might include data to produce

measures such as:

• Extensiveness. How much of the service has been provided (e.g., number of

users logging-in per week on a Web

page, or the number of participants of a

particular listserv);

• Efficiency. The use of resources in

providing or accessing networked

information services (e.g., cost per

session in providing access to remote

users of an on-line catalog, or average

time required to successfully telnet to a

remote database);

• Effectiveness. How well the networked information service met the

objectives of the provider or the user

(e.g., success rate of identifying and

accessing the information needed by

the user);

• Service quality. How well a service or

activity is done (e.g., percentage of

transactions in which users acquire the

information they need);

• Impact. How a service made a difference in some other activity or

situation (e.g., the degree to which

network users enhanced their ability to

gain employment or pursue business);

• Usefulness. The degree to which the

services are useful or appropriate for

individual users (e.g., percentage of

services of interest to different types of

user audiences); and

• Adoption. The extent to which institutions or users integrate and adopt

electronic networked resources or

services into organizational or

individual activities (e.g., classroom

instruction).

The adoption of a new data collection paradigm

will provide policy makers, library professionals, and researchers with the ability to

begin formulating answers to more difficult

questions, such as the relationships between

Internet and network-based expenditures and

levels of service; the relationship between

various connectivity models and the levels of

network services; the impact of network-based

resources on users of the network; the impact of

funding and other policy initiatives on connectivity; and the development of network

performance measures.

Such a change in data collection activities

will not come easily, however. Several issues

require resolution for there to be a new public

library data collection stream:

• What variables/data elements are most

appropriate, measurable, and possible

to collect from public libraries?

• Who should collect and report the data?

< NCES, through the annual FederalState Cooperative System public

library data collection process?

< A consortium that would include

various library-related organizations and researchers (e.g., the

American Library Association,

NCLIS, Chief Officers of State

Library Agencies, Urban Library

Council, and the Gates Library

Foundation?

• What methodologies are appropriate for

the collection of various data?

< Surveys?

< Case studies?

< Focus groups/interviews?

< A combination of some or all the

above, as well as other methodologies?

Resolution of these issues is critical to the

continuation and expansion of public library

electronic network measures.
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 14

Failure to grapple with measuring the

networked environment as it pertains to library

services will leave libraries without the ability

to describe, document, and disseminate the uses

and impacts of electronic library services to

policy makers and sources of funding. Moreover, not adopting electronic data collection

activities into regular data collection vehicles

will create a national public library data void in

an important and emerging area of public

library services.

Role of the Federal Government

The federal government can take a much

more active stance in supporting and

coordinating policies and programs to enhance

the role of libraries--and especially public

libraries--in providing public access to the

Internet. A number of themes should drive

that support:

• Access to and use of the Internet is a

tool that empowers the public and

provides numerous benefits for

individuals, communities, and society

at large. Public libraries can serve both

as a place of first resort--a community

Internet resource center--and a place of

last resort--a safety net--in providing

public access to the Internet for the

nation.

• Library access to and use of the

Internet still varies widely based on

geographical location, type of library,

user characteristics, technical infrastructure available, and a range of

other factors. A flexible and dynamic

policy system is needed to respond to

these various access needs. Support for

connectivity alone is not enough.

• Market forces, on their own, will not

provide equal access to the Internet.

Without assistance, many public

institutions such as schools, libraries,

hospitals will encounter too many

barriers to realize successfully the full

potential of the resources and services

available over the Internet.

• A clearly articulated connectivity

agenda and direction formed through

discussion, policies, and assistance to

public libraries that promote a certain

minimal level of connectivity and

networked services capabilities.

• Partnerships among and between the

federal government, the library

community, information providers, local

and state governments, and other

institutions/organizations are essential

to increase access to the Internet. The

recent commitment by the Gates

Library Foundation <http://www.glf.

org> to enhance the role of public

libraries in the networked environment

is an excellent example of how such

partnerships can assist not only public

libraries but society overall.

• A policy and program framework (e.g,

LSTA) that assists libraries and other

organizations create, maintain, and

expand Internet access and use

programs.

Libraries are especially well suited to advance

the national objectives for the NII and

information superhighway as identified by

Congress and the Administration (McLoughlin,

1997). Much can be done to enhance libraries'

role in this evolving networked environment so

that the citizenry of this country can be

empowered in both their professional and

personal lives.

Multiple Federal Public Library Policies and

Programs

As suggested earlier in this report, the

success of LSTA is unclear at this point, despite

the fact that the LSTA programs are a major

policy initiative and change in support for

libraries in general and public libraries in

particular. But a number of other federal
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 15

programs are supported by other policies that

affect public libraries, such as the:

• FCC’s USF and its anticipated award of

some $2.25 billion to schools and

libraries to support telecommunications

costs <http://www.fcc.gov>;

• National Telecommunications and

Information Agency Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure

Assistance Program <http://www.ntia.

doc.gov>;

• Department of Education has a raft of

programs and services that could

support libraries' development onto the

Internet; these result from the

Elementary School Education Act,

Goals 2000, The President’s Initiative

on Educational Technology (U.S.

Department of Education, 1997)--to

name but a few <http://www.ed.

gov/Technology/>;

• National Science Foundation offers a

large number of programs, including

support for digital libraries projects

<www.nsf.gov>; and

• GPO, in its administration of the DLP,

supports the dissemination of electronic

government information to some 1,400

libraries <http://www.gpo.gov>.

In addition, other federal agencies have

developed programs intended to support

libraries access to and use of electronic

information, such as the National Technical

Information Service's FedWorld. The national

libraries--the Library of Congress, the National

Library of Medicine, and the National Agriculture Library--have programs and roles in

this area. Still others, such as NCLIS, the

IMLS, and the IITF of the NII provide regulatory or advisory functions related to libraries

and the Internet.

This multiple-program environment has

resulted in conflicting program goals and

objectives. This reduces the overall effectiveness of the limited resources available to

support library development onto the global

networked environment, thus creating artificial

walls between and among programs and

agencies (i.e., resultant stovepipe programs at

the local level, limited coordination of these

programs across agencies, and confusion in

both the federal and the library community as

to what programs are appropriate for what

types of libraries in particular circumstances).

Furthermore, many of the programs provide

competitive grants in which some libraries--

especially smaller libraries in rural settings--

are unable, for a host of reasons, to compete

successfully against other applicants.

A comprehensive assessment and policy

review of these various federal efforts to

support public libraries should be conducted.

To a large degree, policy makers and the library

community have little evidence of the factors

that contribute to the success of one program or

the other. For example, an assessment of the

policy providing support to schools and libraries

through the USF might ask questions such as:

• Which types of schools and libraries

received what amounts of money?

• What types of connectivity did schools

and libraries use their awards to

obtain?

• Did the awards raise the level and

extensiveness of school and library

connectivity?

• What types of connection costs were

required by Internet service providers

(ISPs) for schools and libraries

obtaining awards?

• Did the awards assist schools and

libraries to provide new or innovative

services?

Such questions only begin to address issues

related to the overall effectiveness and impact

of the USF. Similar evaluation questions can
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 16

be posed for other programs as identified above.

But in the era of the Government Performance

Results Act (P.L. 103-62), which requires

performance measures and assessment for

government programs such as these library

programs, a comprehensive, cross-agency

assessment of library programs and policies

would be much more useful than a handful of

agency-based assessments.

Public Library Policy Issues

In addition to policy issues of particular

concern at the federal level, other policy issues

are best considered as the primary responsibility of public libraries and the public library

professional community to resolve. Data from

the 1997 Study suggest a number of topics and

some possible strategies that require attention

if public libraries are to make a successful

transition into the global networked environment.

Thinking Locally in a Global Networked

Environment

Public librarians increasingly will be forced

to face and resolve a dilemma. On one hand,

the networked information environment allows

the library to obtain information and services

from around the world. The library also must

compete and provide services in this global

information market. On the other hand, the

traditional “market” of the library has been its

local community or legal service area as

determined largely by the geographical

boundaries of its funding body. Issues

regarding exactly who, or what, is the public

library’s “community” in the global networked

environment are complex. To what degree, for

example, is the funding of a public library’s

website that supports global access and use the

responsibility of the community where the

website is maintained, rather than the users-atlarge that make use of the site?

Clearly, the prime directive for most public

libraries will be to serve the community that

provides the library’s funding. But the library’s

competitors in the global networked

environment are under no such constraint.

Thus, public libraries will need to operate in a

global networked environment with locally

based funding--unless they develop revenueproducing strategies for services delivery

outside their local, geographically constrained

market. This dilemma will likely force libraries

to re-think who or what is their community,

what networked services to provide to this

community, and how users of library services

outside the legal funding jurisdiction should

pay for their use of public library networked

services.

The Endless Upgrade

One-shot fixes for IT in public libraries is

not a viable policy strategy. Public libraries

wishing to provide high-quality networked

services to their communities will need to

develop a rational strategy and budget for the

purchase, installation, maintenance, and

replacement of IT. Data from the 1997 Study

show that respondents assessed cost factors as

most important in affecting their overall

involvement in the Internet. Conversations

with a number of study respondents confirm

that many public libraries have yet to recognize

adequately the ongoing nature of IT costs and

to develop funding strategies to support those

costs.

Some state libraries may wish to reevaluate

their policies of providing “start-up” workstations and connectivity to public libraries as

a means of encouraging them to ?get connected”

and provide networked services. Research

completed by the authors in another study

(McClure and Bertot, 1997a) suggests that a

number of public libraries participating in such

a program will not be able to obtain local

support for such upgrades in the future and

will continue to rely on “state aid” or outside

grants for IT upgrades. Perhaps the endless

upgrade for public libraries’ technology

investments should be seen as a combined

federal, state, and local responsibility.
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 17

Focus on Network-Based Services

While it is important to stress the

significant increases in the percentage of public

libraries that have some type of Internet

connection, the 1997 Study also suggests that a

relatively low percentage of libraries provide

Internet-based services. For example, the data

show that overall, 10.4% of public libraries have

a Web server, and only 18.5% of public libraries

provide dial-in access to library services. These

percentages increase dramatically for the larger

urban and suburban areas, but overall, these

numbers suggest relatively modest provision of

services by public libraries over the Internet.

Libraries without Web servers with

relevant and desirable content or “dial-in”

access services for its community will be

severely handicapped as they co-exist with

other content-providing ISPs. The range and

sophistication of services and products provided

by these ISPs, particularly those that own and

provide original content (e.g., America OnLine),

compared to those services offered by public

libraries, is impressive. Thus, some of the key

issues for public libraries in this area are:

• Must the public library compete with

the ISPs for users and services? If it

does not compete, will overall public

library use decline?

• What network-based services and resources can a nationally organized

consortia of public libraries provide,

rather than each library going it alone?

• Rather than compete with ISPs, should

public libraries create, maintain, and

point to electronic resources that are

unavailable elsewhere to the public?

• What network-based services are most

important and appropriate for a

particular public library?

• What planning and evaluation strategies are appropriate to satisfy library

and USF requirements?

• What value-added services can the

public library provide in terms of

organizing or accessing other ISP

services so that the library is not

marginalized?

Recognition that the public library now must

compete in the broader networked information

environment for provision of resources and

services requires a range of new and innovative

strategies.

Identifying, Describing, and Defining

Internet-Related Costs

The case study reported in Appendix A of

the 1997 Study demonstrates the difficulties

related to identifying, describing, and defining

cost data and categories related to public

library use of the Internet in a networked

environment. That work builds upon previous

efforts by the authors (McClure, Bertot, and

Beachboard, 1995) to better identify, describe,

and define Internet costs in public libraries.

While considerable difficulties are related to

this effort, the importance and usefulness of

such data for local planning and for national

policy making related to the role of public

libraries in the NII continues to have

significant impact. 

An important contribution arising from that

effort is increasing awareness of the difficulties

and issues associated with identifying, describing, and defining Internet-related costs for

public libraries. Internet-related costs for

public libraries are likely to increase as a

percentage of the overall library expenditures

in the near term. Thus, issues of identifying,

describing, and defining those costs are not

likely to go away any time soon. 

A key issue, however, is the importance of

public libraries being able to identify, describe,

and define their Internet-related costs. Currently, most public libraries are unable to

describe these costs accurately, or to track them

over time, and thus are unable to manage these

costs effectively. Public libraries can use the

cost worksheets developed from the case study
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 18

(see Bertot, McClure, and Fletcher, 1997,

Appendix A) as a first step in identifying,

describing, and defining costs and cost

categories at their libraries. Indeed, the

process of individualizing the worksheet to a

particular library will provide significant

insights about library Internet service costs for

staff at that library.

Redeploying Library Resources

Data from the 1997 Study suggest that

typically, a public library spent about 45-50% of

its IT budget on Internet-related costs (see

Figure 37 of the final report). This is up

significantly from 1996 when the percentage of

Internet costs of the typical IT budget was in

the 30-40% range (Bertot, McClure, and

Zweizig, 1996, pp. 24-26 [Note: based on

recalculation of 1996 data in Figures 16 and

17]). But the 1997 Study data also reveal a

number of interesting trends related to

anticipated increases in certain types of

Internet costs (see Figures 38 through 48 of the

final report). For the second year, libraries

generally anticipate increases in expenditures

for the next year in:

• Hardware;

• Software;

• Telecommunications fees;

• Facilities upgrades;

• Training;

• Content and resource development;

• Program planning and management;

• Staffing; and

• Maintenance.

Indeed, in the areas of facilities upgrades,

training, staffing, and maintenance, a significant number of respondents anticipate expenditure increases of more than 5%. While the

survey indicates a range of difficulties in

defining and describing appropriate Internet

cost categories, the findings clearly suggest that

overall costs for Internet-related expenditures

(1) continue to increase relative to all IT

expenditures, and (2) are likely to continue to

increase as a percentage not only of the IT

budget, but probably relative to all library

expenditures.

A key issue for library administrators, then,

is that if overall library budgets are generally

stagnant or increasing only marginally, how

will existing resources be redeployed to cover

these anticipated increases for a range of

Internet costs? These data, as well as conversations with a number of public library

directors, suggest that many public libraries

are being “squeezed” to support new

expenditures for the transition into the global

networked environment while also maintaining

existing, traditional, public library services.

Redeploying existing resources may require

many public libraries to rethink, reengineer,

and rank programs and services in light of this

evolving networked information environment

(Benton Foundation, 1997). For example, it

may be much less costly to license access to an

information service or product through a local

consortia than it is to continue to buy the

product or service directly from the vendor. Or,

it may be less expensive to obtain the product

or service in an electronic format than in print.

Story hour to all branches of the library system

may be less costly and cover more users via

interactive video conferencing than via

traditional means. Issues related to how best to

redeploy resources ultimately will depend on a

range of local and situational factors. But such

issues will require careful attention by public

librarians and policy makers.

Comprehensive Internet Costs and Statistics

Management

Describing and defining Internet-related

costs will become increasingly important as

libraries continue to increase the range of

services they provide via the network. These
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 19

costs must be integrated into the overall costing

and budgeting process of the library through its

management information system or its decision

support system. Regardless of the approach

taken, comprehensive management of library

costs is essential for successful planning and

evaluation of library services.

The cost worksheets proposed in the 1997

Study (see the 1997 Study, Appendix A) is a

beginning model that public libraries can use

initially to describe basic Internet costs. But at

least in the near future, individual libraries will

have to customize these worksheets to take into

consideration the idiosyncratic nature of each

library’s particular situation, its political

environment, and the manner in which it

obtains Internet connectivity from its ISP or

consortium. It may be less important how the

library describes and defines its costs than it is

to agree on a set of definitions and categories

that the library can track longitudinally.

Performance Measures and Statistics for

Networked Services

Many public libraries are only beginning to

consider how to keep statistics related to

Internet use and services. Libraries that

provide a range of Web services or other

network-based services note that circulation,

in-house reference transactions, and other

traditional statistics of use are stagnant or

decreasing. In most cases, electronic services

counts are also rising. Thus, in order to have

an accurate picture of library use, libraries will

need to maintain statistics related to use of

Internet services and resources.

For example, it is possible to use the logs on

Web servers to track the number of times users

“hit” specific types of networked services. It is

also possible to use log server analysis to track

patterns and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses

that provide a general sense of who is using

what type of services. Libraries that provide

electronic reference services will also need to

keep statistics of such use or conduct regular

surveys to be able to track and document such

uses. To a large degree, issues related to how

best to identify, collect, and analyze data to

produce statistics of electronic or networked

information services are only now being

discussed and defined.

A key policy issue for public librarians is

how to assess the overall quality and impact of

networked services. As Smith and Rowland

(1997) state, however:

Identifying meaningful outputs to measure

the use of electronic resources and

networks by public library patrons is the

holy grail of current library measurement

and evaluation. As library services and

collections migrate from traditional printbased resources to an electronic environment, such time-honored output measures

as circulation per capita, reference

transactions per capita, and title fill-rate,

tell only part of the story of library use

volume (p. 168).

Equally important is to compare the quality

and costs of traditional types of library services

(e.g., in-person reference, versus email-based

reference services). Some initial research

conducted in this area indicates that such

measures are possible, but that some effort,

thought, and new types of data collection

techniques--such as log server analysis--may be

needed (Bertot et al., 1997).

To a large degree, public librarians,

researchers, and policy makers do not understand the linkages between Internet costs and

the quality and type of Internet services that

are possible given a specific level of costs.

Clearly, low bandwidth will limit the types of

networked services that a library can provide.

But the degree to which other cost factors

directly affect quality and type of services

provision is unclear. Costing Internet-based

services and comparing such services costs to

more traditional services costs will continue to

be an important area for future research.
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 20

Resource Sharing

The difficulty in identifying Internet costs

for public libraries, on the one hand, is a tribute

in some cases to very successful state and

regional resource sharing. A number of very

different models of resource sharing in the

networked environment are under

development (NCLIS, 1994). The cost study

indicates the importance of resource sharing as

a means for reducing overall networking costs

for an individual library. Evidence from the

1997 Study suggests that important economies

of scale are possible for those libraries participating in statewide or regional/local networks

in lowering overall Internet costs. A better

understanding of these economies of scale is

essential for “next steps” and innovative models

for statewide, regional, and local resource

sharing.

On the other hand, policy and management

issues for these consortia, as well as individual

public libraries, abound. Despite the fact that

findings from the 1997 Study suggest that

unique situational factors can affect the overall

success of these consortia, resource-sharing

efforts among community organizations deserve greater attention. Thought should be

given to how the public library--in conjunction

with local schools, government, and other

organizations--can share the costs for network

connectivity and services. Developing partnerships and new models for resource sharing

among community organizations for technology

development continues to be an important issue

for public libraries (Boughman and Curry,

1997).

New Models for Learning and Applying

Internet Skills

The public library community will need to

rethink traditional models of training and

continuing education. The expanse of knowledge needed for effective operation in the

global networked environment can be intimidating. Endless topics in networking, telecommunications, IT planning and deployment,

evolving technologies such as interactive video,

and many more require some knowledge on the

part of librarians. Not only must librarians

gain knowledge in these areas, but they must

be able to apply it and add value to these

technologies in such ways that library services

enhance and support community information

services.

If training efforts continue to be one-shot,

single-topic, after-the-fact events, librarians are

likely to continue to be behind the knowledge

curve on surviving and flourishing in the

networked environment. A model that relies on

and rewards individual ongoing learning--

where librarians see themselves in a constant

learning environment and regularly obtain

knowledge and experiment in a “hands-on”

context--is needed. Moreover, new models must

incorporate the new technologies as the context

within which the learning occurs.

Library administrators simply must invest

in the library’s human resources and support

not only ongoing learning but the development

of critical thinking skills (Meltzer and Palau,

1996). Critical thinking skills include the

ability to obtain information and apply it in

new ways to solve problems--especially in new

environments such as the Internet. In the

global networked environment, librarians will

need to possess the ability to identify and solve

problems in real time and across multiple tasks

and activities. Partnerships among vendors,

ISPs, state libraries, local community groups,

government, and others will be needed if such

new models are to be developed and succeed.

Developing Public Library Networked

Services

The current policy climate in Washington,

D.C. encourages “helping yourself,” providing

limited seed money to demonstrate projects

with transferable methods, and leveraging

awards to encourage local and private

partnerships. The federal government alone

cannot ensure that public libraries provide

innovative networked information services,

promote network literacy, insure the public’s

access to electronic government information,
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 21

and increase public access to the Internet via

the nation’s libraries. 

Federal policy makers can, however,

provide incentives and offer a range of

encouragements for the library community, the

public, state and local communities, and the

private sector to work together toward the

policy goal of supporting libraries to provide a

range of networked information and services

that promotes the public’s personal and workrelated productivity. Federal policy makers

and the public library community can also

continue a dialogue to discuss and resolve the

issues identified in this report and summarized

in Table 1.

Additional Research

The 1994, 1996, and 1997 Public Library

and the Internet studies provided policy

makers, library professionals, and researchers

with previously unavailable and longitudinal

data concerning public library involvement

with and use of the Internet. These data serve

a variety of purposes, including providing

baseline library connectivity, connection and

cost data, as well as information on connectivity

and connection progress.

The studies, however, have their limitations. It is necessary to expand both the

types of data collected and the entities from

which the data are collected. For example, the

various Internet studies collected Internetrelated data from public library systems, not

branches. While only approximately 16.3% of

public library systems have branches (NCES,

1997), those systems that do have branches

represent significant demographi c

characteristics and population sizes that need

further study. Such libraries--Los Angeles

Public Library, New York Public Library,

Chicago Public Library, to name a few--serve

large U.S. population segments of varied socioeconomic backgrounds. While the studies

indicate that these library systems have some

type of Internet connection, the studies do not

provide data concerning the percentage of

system branches that have Internet connections

or the type of Internet connection(s) within

those branches. Moreover, no data are

available that correlate various population

demographics (e.g., poverty) to branch connectivity.

NCLIS, ALA, the Gates Library Foundation, and other groups indicate an interest in

such additional data collection. These data are

critical to assisting policy makers, library

professionals, and funding agencies to:

• Determine the critical needs areas for

electronic network funding;

• Measure the impact of various

networking funding efforts (e.g., USF,

Gates Library Foundation grants); and

• Inform the policy debate for future

networking funding initiatives.

A collaborative data collection effort among

federal and state library agencies (e.g., IMLS,

NCLIS, and state libraries), library professional

organizations (e.g., ALA), and other funding

organizations (e.g., Gates Library Foundation

<http://www.glf.org>) is necessary to pool

limited resources and begin laying the foundation for ongoing and additional public library

electronic network-related studies.

New Roles

New roles for public libraries in the

evolving networked environment are still being

developed (McClure, Bertot, and Beachboard

1996). But clearly, the electronic public library

in the global networked environment has the

potential to be a community resource center--

with the term community being defined very

differently than in traditional use (Marcum,

1996). These roles might be to:

• Introduce new information technologies

to the community;
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 22

Table 1. Summary of Key Issues.

Federal Policy Issues Public Library Issues

Reaching 100% public library connectivity Thinking locally in a global networked

environment

Importance of Internet-based services rather

than connectivity

The endless upgrade

Universal service Focus on network-based services

Subsidizing public library connection costs Identifying, describing, and defining Internetrelated costs

Public access to electronic government

information 

Redeploying library resources

Effectiveness of the Library Services and

Technology Act for public libraries

Comprehensive Internet costs and statistics

management

Complexity of Internet-related costs Performance measures and statistics for

networked services

Need for a new national data collection

paradigm

Resource sharing

Role of the federal government New models for learning and applying

Internet skills

Multiple federal public library policies and

programs

•

Demonstrate applications and uses of

networking for education, life-long

learning, economic development, telemedicine, and a range of other

applications;

• Be a local access point for a range of

government information resources and

services;

• Create, maintain, and organize electronic community information;

• Provide public access interactive video

conferencing for the public to conduct a

range of activities, including electronic

commerce and interaction with state,

local, and federal government;

• Equalize access such that all members

of the local community can realize the

benefits from “being connected” to the

global networked environment;
Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 23

• Provide training to community residents on how to use the Internet and

interact successfully with a range of

services provided via the net;

• Promote collaboration among schools,

local governments, and other community groups to use the Internet; and

• Expand the range and types of

resources and services provided from

public library websites.

While the library can also serve as a safety net,

a place of last resort to access and use the

global information network, its greatest

potential lies in serving as a place of first resort

to access and use the Internet.

Electronic resources of all types and forms

would be publicly available for those who

cannot connect from the home or workplace.

Librarians and educators would serve as

electronic intermediaries, navigators, and

instructors--being actively involved in assisting

people to best use the network. Parents,

students, adult learners, educators, and others

could work interactively and inter-dependently

on projects and activities that we can only begin

to imagine now. The library, as a nonpartisan

and publicly supported institution with strong

local community ties, is well suited to serve in

this role. A major role for public libraries,

however, and the larger education community

in the networked society, is to reduce socioeconomic gaps in being able to tap the full

potential of the network and to provide equal

opportunity to networked services and resources that are available to the public.

Moving Beyond Connectivity

Increasingly, the success of the nation will

depend on the degree to which the public

interacts effectively in the networked

environment. Network literacy--the ability to

obtain services and resources, conduct business,

and enhance life activities via the networked

environment--is an essential element for taking

advantage of the network. Indeed, evidence

suggests that those members of society who are

best connected and most frequently use the new

information technologies are those that

typically are more involved in the political

process, most likely to vote, most civic minded,

and most likely to support democratic

institutions (Katz, 1997). Being “well

connected” to the network implies knowledge,

skills, and a literacy well beyond that a

28.8kbps modem connection can provide.

Thus, to some degree, the public library

must now move beyond concerns related to

connectivity and work with policy makers, local

organizations, and others to (1) obtain highquality connectivity with high bandwidth, and

(2) develop applications and a range of valueadded services in the networked environment

that specifically meet the needs of the library’s

community of users. While the federal government can provide some support for public

libraries to accomplish these goals, local public

libraries will have to develop strategies and

visions that are most appropriate for their

particular setting. Such strategies might best

be accomplished in partnership among

government, the private sector, other

organizations, and public libraries.

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Policy Issues & Strategies Affecting Public Libraries in the National Networked Environment: Moving Beyond Connectivity

Bertot & McClure 26

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

John Carlo Bertot and Charles R. McClure

and have worked together successfully on a

number of research projects--most recently the

1997 Public Libraries and the Internet study

(the Executive Summary of this report appears

on the ALA homepage <www.ala.org/oitp/>) and

the Evaluation of the Online at PA Libraries

Project. John Carlo Bertot is assistant professor at the Department of Information Systems,

University of Maryland Baltimore County, and

is faculty associate at the Maryland Institute

for Policy Analysis and Research. He has published extensively on statewide and public

library networking activities, and on topics

related to federal, state, and county information

policies and the use of information technology

to deliver information resources and services. 

At present, Bertot and McClure are the

principal investigators for an evaluation study

of the DelAWARE project, Delaware’s online

information resource. They are also the

principal investigators for a project that is

assessing the impact of networking on public

libraries in Victoria, Australia.

Charles R. McClure is a distinguished

professor of information studies at Syracuse

University, School of Information Studies--one

of only eight at the university to receive that

title. He has published extensively on topics

related to planning and evaluation of information and networked services, information policy,

and libraries and the Internet. As co-principal

investigator he just completed a one year study

with Bertot funded by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries that resulted in the report

Evaluation of the Online at PA Libraries

Project: Public Access to the Internet Through

Public Libraries; he is also Co-PI with Bertot on

a study assessing Maryland's statewide

network, Sailor, completed in September 1996.

In 1995, McClure and Bertot completed a

study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that examined federal policies

related to enhancing the role of public libraries

in the networked environment. Also in 1995, as

part of the NSF study with additional funding

from the National Commission on Libraries and

Information Science (NCLIS), McClure and

Bertot produced Internet Costs and Cost Models

for Public Libraries. McClure, with Bertot and

Zweizig, completed a national survey of public

libraries and their use of the Internet. This

study and its final report, Public Libraries and

the Internet: Survey Findings and Key Issues,

was published in September 1996.

McClure has a proven track record of

managing and successfully completing research

projects funded by the U.S. Department of

Education, the National Science Foundation,

the U.S. Geological Survey, the Government

Printing Office, and the NCLIS. His research

has been recognized by awards from the

American Society for Information Science, the

American Library Association, and the

Association for Library and Information Science

educators. He was the founding editor of

Internet Research and is a frequent speaker at

professional associations and meetings.