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How Connected
are Canadian Public Libraries to the Information Highway?
Canada
What is
the population of the area served by your library?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 12.4% |
56/450 |
Less
than 1,000 |
| 43.8% |
197/450 |
1,000
to 9,999 |
| 25.6% |
115/450 |
10,000
to 49,999 |
| 8.7% |
39/450 |
50,000
to 99,999 |
| 5.3% |
24/450 |
100,000
to 249,999 |
| 4.2% |
19/450 |
250,000+ |
| 100.0% |
450/450 |
Summary |
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As of August
1, 2000, how many Internet connected workstations were available to the
public at your library?
| Basic
Statistics |
| Count |
438 |
| Minimum |
0.00 |
| Maximum |
706.00 |
| Average |
12.65 |
| Total |
5540 |
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Obtaining
multimedia benefits from the Internet requires a minimum 486 or Power
Mac computer. How many of each type of public access workstations does
your library have?
Click
here for details
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Public
libraries have indicated that there are times when the demand for public
Internet access exceeds the number of available workstations. How often
does this event occur at your library?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 7.6% |
34/445 |
Always |
| 45.2% |
201/445 |
Frequently |
| 42.7% |
190/445 |
Occasionally |
| 4.5% |
20/445 |
Never |
| 100.0% |
445/445 |
Summary |
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Does your
library charge users a fee to access the Internet?
Click
here for details
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How many
branches and/or service points covered by this response incur long distance
charges when connecting to the Internet?
| Basic
Statistics |
| Count |
410 |
| Minimum |
0.00 |
| Maximum |
46.00 |
| Average |
0.56 |
| Total |
230 |
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How does
your library connect to the Internet?
Click
here for details
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Approximately
what percentage of the library's annual budget is directed towards Internet
connection costs?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 71.2% |
302/424 |
1
- 5 |
| 17.9% |
76/424 |
6
- 10 |
| 7.5% |
32/424 |
11
- 20 |
| 1.9% |
8/424 |
21
- 30 |
| 1.2% |
5/424 |
31
- 40 |
| 0.2% |
1/424 |
40
+ |
| 100.0% |
424/424 |
Summary |
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Does your
library have a Web site?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 65.1% |
284/436 |
Yes |
| 34.9% |
152/436 |
No |
| 100.0% |
436/436 |
Summary |
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What services
can users access through the library's Web site?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 35.6% |
160/450 |
Search
the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) |
| 22.2% |
100/450 |
Reserve
and/or request books from the OPAC |
| 26.0% |
117/450 |
Search
full-text and bibliographic databases from outside the library |
| 8.9% |
40/450 |
Consult
special collections digitized by your library |
| 46.4% |
209/450 |
Access
community information that you have added to the Web site |
| 12.9% |
58/450 |
Access
electronic services (e.g. pay fines, ask reference questions, register
for programs, etc.) |
| 42.0% |
189/450 |
Find
pathfinders or useful links for web searching organized by the library |
| 42.0% |
189/450 |
Access
e-mail, e.g. via Hotmail, Excite, etc. |
| 51.8% |
233/450 |
Locate
information or services from local, provincial and/or federal governments |
| 13.6% |
61/450 |
Other |
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As the
Internet evolves, people are demanding faster Internet connections and
more powerful computers to utilize more sophisticated applications. How
satisfied do you think library staff and users are with the level of Internet
service provided by the Library?
| 1) |
Staff |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 25.5% |
113/443 |
Very
satisfied |
| 60.7% |
269/443 |
Somewhat
satisfied |
| 13.8% |
61/443 |
Not
satisfied |
| 100.0% |
443/443 |
Summary |
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| 2) |
Users |
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| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 22.7% |
99/437 |
Very
satisfied |
| 65.9% |
288/437 |
Somewhat
satisfied |
| 11.4% |
50/437 |
Not
satisfied |
| 100.0% |
437/437 |
Summary |
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Below is
a list of frequently mentioned concerns about Internet access. Please
indicate how serious each concern is for your library.
| 1) |
Theft
and vandalism of equipment |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 5.8% |
26/445 |
Very
serious |
| 14.4% |
64/445 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 79.8% |
355/445 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
445/445 |
Summary |
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| 2) |
Speed
of Internet connections |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 28.4% |
126/444 |
Very
serious |
| 43.5% |
193/444 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 28.2% |
125/444 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
444/444 |
Summary |
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| 3) |
Number
of connected computers |
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| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 17.1% |
76/444 |
Very
serious |
| 45.7% |
203/444 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 37.2% |
165/444 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
444/444 |
Summary |
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| 4) |
Training/maintaining/upgrading
staff skills |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 40.1% |
178/444 |
Very
serious |
| 45.9% |
204/444 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 14.0% |
62/444 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
444/444 |
Summary |
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| 5) |
Internet
security (e.g. privacy, virus) |
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| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 22.6% |
100/443 |
Very
serious |
| 43.6% |
193/443 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 33.9% |
150/443 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
443/443 |
Summary |
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| 6) |
Inappropriate
Internet usage |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 12.2% |
54/443 |
Very
serious |
| 40.2% |
178/443 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 47.6% |
211/443 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
443/443 |
Summary |
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| 7) |
Ongoing
connection costs |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 33.9% |
150/443 |
Very
serious |
| 30.9% |
137/443 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 35.2% |
156/443 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
443/443 |
Summary |
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| 8) |
Cost
of replacing/updating equipment |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 55.0% |
244/444 |
Very
serious |
| 32.4% |
144/444 |
Somewhat
serious |
| 12.6% |
56/444 |
Not
currently a problem |
| 100.0% |
444/444 |
Summary |
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Does your
library filter/block inappropriate content?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 10.8% |
48/445 |
Yes
- for all public workstations |
| 8.5% |
38/445 |
Yes
- only for workstations in the children's section |
| 80.7% |
359/445 |
No |
| 100.0% |
445/445 |
Summary |
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Does your
library have an Internet Acceptable Use Policy?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 91.3% |
408/447 |
Yes |
| 8.7% |
39/447 |
No |
| 100.0% |
447/447 |
Summary |
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To get
an idea of what kinds of services libraries would like to provide to their
patrons, imagine your library had unlimited access to funding and bandwidth.
What are the top three new services you would offer?
Click here for details
Within
the next two years, do you have plans to implement any of the following
Internet connectivity upgrades with your foreseeable resources?
| 1) |
Installing
new connected computers |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 33.2% |
146/440 |
Yes |
| 26.8% |
118/440 |
Currently
underway |
| 16.6% |
73/440 |
Just
completed |
| 23.4% |
103/440 |
No |
| 100.0% |
440/440 |
Summary |
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| 2) |
Upgrading
older computers |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 38.4% |
168/437 |
Yes |
| 15.8% |
69/437 |
Currently
underway |
| 12.4% |
54/437 |
Just
completed |
| 33.4% |
146/437 |
No |
| 100.0% |
437/437 |
Summary |
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| 3) |
Replacing
internal network equipment |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 20.8% |
89/428 |
Yes |
| 16.8% |
72/428 |
Currently
underway |
| 14.7% |
63/428 |
Just
completed |
| 47.7% |
204/428 |
No |
| 100.0% |
428/428 |
Summary |
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| 4) |
Installing
faster external Internet connection |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 33.2% |
144/434 |
Yes |
| 17.5% |
76/434 |
Currently
underway |
| 8.3% |
36/434 |
Just
completed |
| 41.0% |
178/434 |
No |
| 100.0% |
434/434 |
Summary |
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| 5) |
Expanding
facilities (computer labs, etc.) |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 21.2% |
91/429 |
Yes |
| 10.3% |
44/429 |
Currently
underway |
| 5.4% |
23/429 |
Just
completed |
| 63.2% |
271/429 |
No |
| 100.0% |
429/429 |
Summary |
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| 6) |
Obtaining
new software applications |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 56.4% |
247/438 |
Yes |
| 9.8% |
43/438 |
Currently
underway |
| 4.8% |
21/438 |
Just
completed |
| 29.0% |
127/438 |
No |
| 100.0% |
438/438 |
Summary |
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| 7) |
Installing
interior wiring |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 18.9% |
81/429 |
Yes |
| 9.3% |
40/429 |
Currently
underway |
| 15.2% |
65/429 |
Just
completed |
| 56.6% |
243/429 |
No |
| 100.0% |
429/429 |
Summary |
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| 8) |
Upgrading
interior wiring |
|
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 20.9% |
89/425 |
Yes |
| 8.9% |
38/425 |
Currently
underway |
| 13.4% |
57/425 |
Just
completed |
| 56.7% |
241/425 |
No |
| 100.0% |
425/425 |
Summary |
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Financial
assistance for upgrades originates from numerous sources. How will/did
your library fund the upgrade(s)?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 52.2% |
235/450 |
From
within the existing budget |
| 42.0% |
189/450 |
A
donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| 10.9% |
49/450 |
Corporate
donation |
| 35.6% |
160/450 |
Federal
funds |
| 38.2% |
172/450 |
Provincial
funds |
| 38.9% |
175/450 |
Municipal
funds |
| 36.7% |
165/450 |
Local
fundraising |
| 12.4% |
56/450 |
Other |
| 3.3% |
15/450 |
Not
applicable |
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If your
library is currently unable to implement any upgrades, is it for any of
the following reasons?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 2.9% |
13/450 |
Lack
of need/interest |
| 49.3% |
222/450 |
Lack
of funding |
| 22.0% |
99/450 |
Waiting
for local carrier/service provider to deploy/upgrade existing infrastructure |
| 6.7% |
30/450 |
Other |
| 33.1% |
149/450 |
Not
applicable |
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SchoolNet
and LibraryNet are exploring the possibility of establishing an on-line
data collection mechanism and repository of connectivity information in
order to provide the library community with more accurate connectivity
data on a regular basis, i.e. connection speeds, planned connectivity
upgrades. Would you be interested in participating in such a pilot project?
| Percent |
Count |
Answers |
| 60.7% |
266/438 |
Yes |
| 39.3% |
172/438 |
No |
| 100.0% |
438/438 |
Summary |
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