The role of public libraries is changing in response to a multitude of influences and trends. The exponential growth of technology as the primary method of information access, funding challenges, changing demographics, and other mitigating factors have forced public libraries to become more than book repositories. Community library leaders and…

Many Americans lack the skills required to use public access computers and the Internet at public libraries (PLs). Staff members of a PL in the Midwestern United States provide basic computer training to support patrons' Internet and public access computer use. However, adult patrons who are beyond the basic skills level and those with…

As digital access and education have become increasingly widespread, rural Appalachia, a historically marginalized region of the eastern United States, remains heavily impacted by the digital divide, with lower levels of digital access and use than average rates throughout the US. The digital divide is well-established from a rural-urban…

In the United States, individual states have different means of determining and distributing funding. This influences library service and access to information particularly as it pertains to critical Internet access. Funding and service trends have changed, especially as it relates to public libraries, with some modifications working to their…

The purpose of this mixed-method case study was to explore the institutional practices that may influence persistence for Hispanic undergraduate students at a four-year public research university in Texas. Data were gathered from 255 students using an on-line survey and follow-up interviews with ten students and three administrators. The combined…

State digital libraries are manifestations of the diffusion of technology that has provided both "access to" and "delivery of" digital content. Whether the content is being accessed and used equitably in K-12 schools has not been assessed. Determining patterns of the diffusion of use across socioeconomic groups in K-12 schools…