With Broadband Needs Rising, Libraries Under Strain

Broadband is now a necessary part of daily life. Whether processing financial transactions, enrolling in online classes, or taking the job hunt online, families are more reliant on the web than ever before. With broadband demands meeting the reality of too few household connections, public libraries — sometimes the only public hotspots in small communities — are feeling the strain.

Libraries are often the only reliable connection for low-income families without an Internet connection in the home. As the digital divide leaves more households disconnected from life on the web, libraries and their public broadband connections are a lifeline for these individuals. According to a study by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation:

Low-income adults are more likely to rely on the public library as their sole access to computers and the Internet than any other income group. Overall, 44 percent of people living below the federal poverty line used computers and the Internet at their public libraries.

The report also finds that many of those accessing the web do so for economic reasons, using online career portals and trying to improve their job prospects:

Forty percent of library computer users (about 30 million people) used library technology resources to help them with their career needs, 75 percent of whom were searching for a job online. Half of those users filled out applications or submitted resumes.

With these figures in mind, many libraries are feeling the strain of patrons depending on them for their primary broadband connection. Yet as many as one-third of libraries report that they lack "even minimally adequate" Internet connections, and many libraries are struggling financially in this tough economy.

While the goals of the National Broadband Plan seek to connect every American to the Internet, many struggling communities depend on connections available at schools and libraries. We must ensure that this minimum of connectivity is met for our students and families, as we make the goal of bridging the digital divide a reality.

Where Do You Go When the Library is Closed? (Broadband and Social Justice)

First-Ever National Study: Millions of People Rely on Library Computers for Employment, Health, and Education (Gates Foundation)