Internet

ALIA supports the development of a new model for minimising broadband data transmission costs for public information accessed through public institutions such as libraries and for non-commercial purposes.

It was also noted that there is a need for assistance from public library staff for users of electronic services, both for accessing government information and for everyday online tasks.

Over the last 20 years, public libraries have increased their role in the digital space, enhancing people’s online experiences, helping people connect to this new virtual world, and providing a safety net for those who are in danger of being left behind.

Internet access in public libraries has become a core offering, providing equity of access for people without the benefit of a PC at home, and the demand from library users has been on a consistently upward trend for more than a decade.

The responses to the 2013 survey, in common with those of 2011, suggested that libraries will continue to face a tough juggling act to deliver what library users want and need, within the limitations of their current budgets and within the capacity of their existing staff.

Internet access in public libraries has become a core offering, providing equity of access for people without the benefit of a PC at home, and the demand from library users has been on a consistently upward trend for more than a decade.

The responses to the 2011 survey suggested that, while library managers were doing their best to meet this demand within the limits of their resources, these resources were becoming over-stretched and there were concerns about their ability to maintain service levels in the future

The Internet access in public libraries survey 2008, conducted by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), analyses responses from public libraries in all states and territories across Australia. Over 200 public libraries responded to the survey. The library services which participated in the survey represent 6,920,476 registered users and have over 147,000 people accessing internet services in their libraries each week.

Filtering software selectively controls what content Internet users can view and what activities they can participate in, using a variety of automatic technologies and set parameters.

This survey of internet access in public libraries covers 41 per cent of public libraries across Australia. Library services which participated in the survey represent almost 6 million registered users and over 77 000 people access internet services in these libraries each week.

This report is a follow-up to a similar survey in 2002 and provides up-to-date information on how public library internet services are being managed, delivered and used.

In December 2009, Minister Stephen Conroy announced the details of the government's proposals for mandatory filtering by ISPs of online content in the Refused Classification (RC) category. ALIA welcomeS the Minister's invitation for consultations on the proposed policy. There is some concern that the scope of content to be filtered is too wide. Filtering all RC material could block content with a strong social or educational value.