New research highlights libraries’ expanded roles

A majority of our nation’s nearly 17,000 public libraries provide programs to help identify health insurance resources and also training to increase familiarity with new technologies, according to a new study from the American Library Association (ALA). 2015’s Digital Inclusion Survey caps two decades of research on public libraries and the Internet and the expanded roles libraries are playing in their communities. The Digital Inclusion Survey finds that:

• Virtually all libraries (98 percent) offer free public Wi-Fi access
• 95 percent of libraries offer summer reading programs to forestall the “summer slide” in reading achievement experienced when learning takes a holiday between school terms
• Close to 90 percent of libraries offer basic digital literacy training, and a significant majority support training related to new technology devices (62 percent), safe online practices (57 percent) and social media use (56 percent)
• 76 percent of libraries assist patrons in using online government programs and services
• The vast majority of libraries provide programs that support people in applying for jobs (73 percent), access and using online job opportunity resources (68 percent) and using online business information resources (48 percent)
• A significant majority of libraries host social connection events for adults (61 percent) and teens (60 percent) such as book discussion groups or gaming programs
• 45 percent of libraries provide early-learning technologies for pre-K children
• More than one-third of all libraries provide literacy, GED prep, STEAM and afterschool programs