Economic downturns send people to libraries for high speed Internet

During tough economic times, library usage increases. During the glum economy of the early 1990’s, people flocked to libraries to pour over the classified section of the newspaper for jobs, and when the economy picked back up circulation went back down. Now, people are using the free high speed Internet at libraries to find new jobs. For example, in the last year at Kelley Library in Salem, MA, high speed Internet usage has risen at a notable rate.

Reference librarian Deb Berlin expects more people will use the library's high-speed Internet access, seeking work online after dumping Internet access at home to save money.

The library's nine public Internet computer stations have seen an 11 percent increase in usage in the last year, with bookings of 30 or 60 minutes rising from 6,341 to 7.041.

One afternoon last week, the stations were full.

Joe Pacheco, 37, of Salem sat at one of the computers researching natural medicine. He has used the stations to look for jobs in tough times, and has witnessed others doing the same.

Why? "It's free," he said.

People are canceling their home Internet access because of economic concerns. Those who could most benefit from high speed Internet access – people who could really use resources like distance learning and job training are being excluded for economic reasons. Free high speed Internet access for the public is an invaluable service that libraries provide, but it is not a long-term solution. To make true advances, even in the face of a struggling economy, we need a national high speed policy that connects every home at a reasonable cost.

As economy struggles, more people rely on libraries (The Eagle Tribune)