America: Institute of Museum & Library Services, 2010.
The study was based on almost 50,000 telephone and Web form surveys. Highlights include:
- 44% of those living below the poverty level access e-mail and the Web via their local public library. And nearly a third of Americans over 14 used library Internet services in 2009. That's about 77 million people.
- 40% of those 2009 users accessed library Internet resources to find employment. 75% of these looked for a job online. Half posted their resume or filled out an online job application.
- Another 37% researched some illness or medical problem, or searched for or made an appointment with a doctor.
- 42% used their local library's Internet for education; over a third of these did their homework online. A big portion of these users were teenagers.
- 60% accessed a library computer to contact someone else.
