LaPorte County Public Library is conducting an online survey through Feb. 12 to find out how patrons use the library’s computers and Internet connection and how this service has made an impact on their lives.
This information will help the library improve its technology services and communicate the value of providing free access to computers and the Internet within the community, according to a library press release. The survey is anonymous, available in English and Spanish, and takes 10-15 minutes to complete.
The survey is the result of a research initiative from the University of Washington with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In 2009, the University of Washington Information School conducted Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, the first large-scale investigation of the ways patrons use computers and the Internet at public libraries, why they use it, and how it impacts their lives. The study was instrumental in providing evidence that access to the Internet at U.S. public libraries has an impact on individuals and communities.
Access the web survey at laportelibrary.org.