About the Project

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced that it will enter into a cooperative agreement with the University of Washington to conduct a national study on the social, economic, personal, and professional value of free access to computers at public libraries.

The University of Washington Information School, working with the Urban Institute, a non-partisan economic and social policy research organization, will examine the impact of free access to computers and the Internet on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. The IMLS project will be carried out with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Public libraries, with support from the government and private foundations, have provided free access to the Internet and computers since the 1990s. Libraries have also provided access to digital resources, databases, networked and virtual services, training, technical assistance, and technology-trained staff. However, little research has been done on the relationship between free access to computers and the benefits to individuals, families and communities. Working with libraries, users, and communities, and an expert committee of library leaders, researchers, and public policy organizations, the research team will develop methods of measuring the benefits of free computer access. These indicators may help guide decision-making and be used to generate public support for public access computing.

"I am so pleased to work with the University of Washington, the Urban Institute, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on this important study," said Anne-Imelda Radice, PhD, Institute Director. "This research will advance our shared mission of connecting people with information and ideas. Access to information is the touchstone of democracy."

"The University of Washington is proud to be part of this effort, which builds on and extends research already underway at the Information School on the impacts of public access computing at the local and international level," said Mike Crandall, senior lecturer and chair of the Master's of Science in Information Management program. Crandall and Karen Fisher, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of the Master's of Library and Information Science Program, are co-directors of the University of Washington project.

"People use free technologies in public libraries to transform their lives. This research will help capture the value of that access which, in turn, can help libraries raise awareness and support," said Jill Nishi, Director of the U.S. Libraries program at the Gates Foundation.