New report confirms: computers make us busier

A new report, Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study sponsored by ALA and the Gates Foundation looked at the impact of technology on public libraries. They begin, Libraries have always been about the business of connecting communities of people with the information they want and need in order to learn, explore, create and build success. Computers and the Internet have been a growing part of fulfilling this mission over the past dozen years."

They report 3 themes:

• Technology is bringing more – not less – public library use
• Library infrastructure (space, bandwidth and staffing) is being pushed to capacity
• Libraries need more technology planning and dedicated technology support