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The article focuses on a study on the growth of computer and Internet services in public libraries in the U.S. and how such services are financed. It notes that 90% of libraries provide formal training or information technology assistance to effectively utilize computers and online resources. According to the study, Internet services available in public libraries have increased. Also mentioned is an increase in the number of libraries which report that offering services for job seekers is important to the role of the public library.

The article reports that while more than 99 percent of public libraries in the U.S. offer Internet access, many have not kept up with increasing infrastructure demands, which may have implications for demand at academic libraries. An average of 10.7 public access workstations are owned by public library branches, the article notes. Bandwidth speed has slightly declined, with 62.1 percent of public library branches having connection speeds of greater than 769kbps. Nearly 80 percent of libraries also claim to have insufficient workstations some or all of the day.

The article focuses on the "2007 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study," which provides the most complete national picture of computer and Internet access in U.S. public libraries, conducted by John Carlo Bertot and Charles McClure of Florida State University. The study found that on average, there are 10.7 public access computers in each library branch. For the first time, the study asked if the wireless and wired Internet connections shared the same bandwidth, and nearly half of respondents answered yes.

Reports on a library program in Houston, Texas which will give library card-holding residents free access to email, word processing, spreadsheet software and document storage space. Positive reaction to the program; Technological facilities at the libraries; Cost effectiveness of the program.

The article focuses on a 2008-2009 study by the American Library Association (ALA) about funding and technology access in public libraries. Results of the study indicated that over 71% of libraries claim that they stand as the sole source of free access to computers and the Internet in their respective communities. Job-seeking services were regarded by the libraries as one of the most crucial online services offered. About 38% of libraries experienced budget increases at or above the inflation rate.

This article offers information on the central Bronx branch of the New York Public Library. The $50-million, five-story is three times the size of the Fordham Library Center that had served the borough for 82 years. Designed by Dattner Architects, the branch offers 127 desktop computers for public use and houses 200,000 books, periodicals, and multimedia items for the community's ethnically diverse users.

Announces an initiative aimed at installing personal computers with free Internet access in all public libraries in Germany. Plan to boost Internet use among Germans; Other measures taken by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; Statistics comparing Internet access in Germany and the United States.