Internet access in public libraries survey 2005

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Report (30 March 2006)

Contents

Summary

• Key findings
• Conclusions

• Introduction
• About the survey
• Results
  • Policy
  • Community education and training
  • Complaints
  • Filters
  • Children
  • Monitoring
  • Feedback from library users about internet access services
  • Comments about internet access in libraries

Conclusions
Acknowledgements
References and further information
Appendix:

• Survey of internet access in public libraries, 2005 - survey form

Summary

This survey of internet access in public libraries covers 41 per cent of public libraries across Australia. Library services which participated in the survey represent almost 6 million registered users and over 77 000 people access internet services in these libraries each week.

This report is a follow-up to a similar survey in 2002 and provides up-to-date information on how public library internet services are being managed, delivered and used.

Australia's public libraries are key players in addressing the need for equitable community access to online information and services. Public access internet services in libraries are expanding. Public libraries are important sources for internet training, access to online services and providers of valuable online content, including content available only by subscription.

Key findings

Internet access services in public libraries are highly valued, popular and heavily used. Services have grown and improved over the past three years. Users particularly appreciate the improvements in access, bandwidth and speed that many libraries have made. Internet access services are used for study and learning; accessing government and other services, such as banking; recreation and e-mail and many other purposes.

In providing internet access services public libraries:

• Have regularly reviewed and endorsed use policies which are widely publicised.
• Provide extensive user education, guides to searching and trained staff to assist users.
• Are an important source for community information and education on effective and safe internet use.
• Monitor and supervise internet use in a variety of ways.
• Attend to the needs and interest of special groups in the community, such as children and seniors.

Despite the high level of use of internet access service, libraries report receiving few complaints about online content. Fifty per cent of libraries surveyed reported that they had received no complaints. Most of the 50 per cent who had received complaints said that they had received five or fewer complaints in the past 12 months. Most complaints concerned sexually explicit content, compared to violent, racist or other offensive content.

Around 30 per cent of libraries surveyed reported using filtering software (up from 18 per cent in 2002). However, there has been a corresponding increase in complaints, mainly about filters blocking legitimate sites.

Libraries are attending to the special needs and interests of children by providing separate internet terminals and/or websites for children and young adults that link to resources tailored especially for them.

Seventy-one per cent of libraries require parental consent for children to use the internet. Some libraries also require a parent or carer to be present with a child using the internet.

Conclusions

Providing access to online information and services is a core service for public libraries and must be based on the principle of the right of all users to unhindered access to information of their choice regardless of format, in the context of the current regulatory measures for online content and libraries' duty of care.

The experiences of libraries and their users supports a view that the current legislation relating to online content is appropriate, workable and reflects wide held community views and standards.

Delivering an effective, rewarding and safe internet service requires in-depth understanding of user needs, online content and technical requirements. Filtering of public library internet services is not the way to deliver a high quality and safe service. Filtering software has been shown to block legitimate content while not guaranteeing that illegal or inappropriate sites will be blocked.

The work of organisations such as NetAlert and ALIA in developing educational and information materials for libraries and internet users is well-known, appreciated and used by public libraries.

Report

Introduction

Australian libraries and information services provide extensive internet access services and Australia's public libraries are key players in addressing the need for equitable community access to online information and services. The provision of internet access in public libraries has grown strongly over the past few years. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that in 2003-04 there were on average three internet workstations in each local government library location in Australia[1]. Public libraries are important sources for internet training, access to online services and providers of valuable online content, including content available only by subscription.

The first object of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is to promote the free flow of information and ideas in the interests of all Australians and a thriving culture, economy and democracy. ALIA has a long-standing interest and is active in the public debate on the regulation of internet content in Australia. The Association has a particular interest in policy and legislative issues relating to the provision of public access internet services in public libraries.

This report of a recent survey of internet services in public libraries in Australia provides up-to-date information on how these services are being managed, delivered and used. The survey and report are timely in the light of recent media and political debate on these services and on the potential risk of children being exposed to inappropriate online content and where some interests have called for the use of filtering software as an appropriate solution to manage access to online content in public libraries.

About the survey

In November 2005, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) invited public library services in Australia to take part in a survey of internet access in public libraries by completing an online survey form. Public library services who were institutional members of ALIA received an individually addressed invitation to take part. The survey was also publicised through a number of e-lists and the State and Territory libraries assisted by circulating information about the survey to their public library networks.

The survey asked participating library services about internet use policies, community education and training, complaints from users about internet content, use of internet filtering software and children's use of the internet in libraries. The survey follows up an earlier survey by ALIA in 2002[2]. For comparative purposes, the 2005 survey asked the same questions as the earlier survey. A few new questions were added in the light of developments in internet services in libraries and policy relating to online content regulation since 2002.

The survey was conducted by ALIA's Online Content and Regulation Reference Group, an advisory group to ALIA's Board of Directors[3].

Results

This survey covers 186 public library organisations with 718 access points, representing 34 per cent of library organisations and 41 per cent of library access points, such as branch libraries and mobile libraries Australia-wide[4]. The survey respondents are broadly representative of the range of public library services throughout Australia. Respondents included library services located in metropolitan, greater metropolitan, regional and rural areas and one state-wide library service. Respondents range from state and national libraries to large metropolitan library services with multiple branches and over 100 000 registered users to remote rural libraries with fewer than 1000 registered users.

The 186 library services covered by the survey have a total of 5 954 668 registered users. They have 3646 public access internet terminals. An estimated 77 168 users access the internet each week in these library services.

Sixty-seven per cent of respondents were ALIA institutional members and 33 per cent were non-members.

Policy

Ninety-five per cent of respondents have an internet policy. Their internet policies are reviewed regularly and kept up-to-date. Ninety per cent of library services had reviewed their internet policies in the past three years, including 66 per cent who had reviewed their policies in 2005. Ninety-eight per cent of policies include user behaviour policies.

Eighty per cent of respondents imposed time restrictions on internet use, compared to 95 per cent in the 2002 survey, and 89 per cent operated booking systems for internet use, compared to 93 per cent in the 2002 survey.

Library services use a range of approaches to publicise their internet policies to their users, including signs, brochures, library web sites, the screen saver or default screen on public use internet work stations and verbally by library staff.

In 43 per cent of cases, the library service's internet policy has been endorsed by library management. Internet policies may also be endorsed by Council management (24 per cent) or Council (23 per cent). In some cases the policy is endorsed at a state level, for example through a state libraries board or state government minister, or in the case of regional library services through a regional library committee or corporation board. In addition some library services consulted their communities when developing or reviewing their internet policy using methods such as suggestion boxes and library advisory committees with community representation. This is a similar result to the 2002 survey.

Community education and training

Public library services provide extensive user education and support for their internet services. Almost 85 per cent of respondents indicated that they provide at least one form of training or support. There appears to have been a decline in the number of libraries providing internet training courses, 58 per cent in this survey compared to 82 per cent in 2002, but a corresponding increase in libraries providing guides to searching the internet (52 per cent compared to 38 per cent in 2002).

Twenty-eight per cent of respondents have internet training programs specifically for children and/or parents and 60 per cent have internet education programs for seniors. Seventy-four per cent of library services provide free internet education programs.

Since 2002, NetAlert, the federal government's community internet education initiative, has developed internet safety programs and information resources specifically targeting libraries. Over the past three years there has been a corresponding increase in public libraries' awareness and use of NetAlert materials. Whereas in the 2002 survey 30 per cent of participants said that they were aware of NetAlert and only eight per cent reported actively using NetAlert materials, in 2005 53 per cent of respondents have received NetAlert materials and 41 per cent provided information to the survey on how the material is being used. It is being displayed and copies made available for library users, it is used in staff training and has been referred to in review of library internet use policies.

Seventy-two per cent of respondents were aware of ALIA's policy and other information relating to online content regulation and internet services in libraries. Many library services have made use of ALIA policy and other information, especially in developing and reviewing their internet use policies. There is a distinctive difference between ALIA institutional members and non-members in their in awareness and use of ALIA's policy and other information relating to online content regulation. While 83 per cent of respondents who were ALIA institutional members were aware of ALIA's policy and other information, only 50 per cent of non-members were aware the Association's policy and information resources.

Complaints

Given the high level of use of internet services in libraries described above, the level of complaints about internet content is very low. The number of libraries reporting receiving complaints about internet content is lower in 2005 than in 2002. Fifty per cent of respondents reported that they had received complaints about internet content, compared to 55 per cent in 2002. Of the 93 library service who reported that they had received complaints, 71 per cent had received five or fewer complaints in the past 12 months. Most complaints were about sexually explicit content, compared to violent, racist or other offensive content.

Filters

Over the past three years, there appears to have been an increase in the use of filtering software by public library services. Thirty-one per cent of respondents to the 2005 survey reported using filters, compared to 18 per cent of respondents in 2002. There has been a corresponding increase in complaints about the use of filters.

Children

Since 2002, libraries have continued to develop their internet services for children. Twenty per cent of respondents have separate internet terminals for children (compared to 16 per cent in 2002) and 52 per cent have websites for children and young adults that link to material especially recommended for them (compared to 47 per cent in 2002).

Seventy-one per cent of respondents required parental consent for children to use the internet. For 60 per cent of those library services which require parental consent the age up to which consent is required is 18 years. For a further 21 per cent the age up to which consent is required is 16 years. Twenty-two per cent of library services required parents to be present with children using the internet. The age up to which a parent or carer is required to be present with a child using the internet varies widely, from four years of age in one case to eighteen years of age in six cases. The most common age limit is 12 years, in 13 cases.

Monitoring

Eighty per cent of respondents reported that they monitor internet use. In most cases this is visual monitoring by library staff. Some libraries collect system data.

Information from monitoring of internet use is used for a variety of purposes: for statistical reporting on levels of use and sites visited; to assist in planning for services and selection and purchase of online resources; for tracking and following up breaches of internet use policy; for reviewing and blocking sites or modifying filtering; and to assist in managing download limits.

Feedback from library users about internet access services

From the comments on the positive feedback received from users, it is evident that libraries' internet services are popular, heavily used and highly valued by library users. It is also evident that the expansion of internet services and improvements in bandwidth and speed that some libraries have been able to achieve in the past few years is well appreciated by library users. Compared to the 2002 survey, there has been a significant increase in positive comments about the quality of equipment, speed and bandwidth (from 4 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent in 2005) and the ease of access and accessibility of services (from 4 per cent in 2002 to 13 per cent in 2005). Library users also appreciate the free access to the internet provided by public library services.

Correspondingly, while in 2002 50 per cent of negative feedback concerned slow connection and download times, this represented 32 per cent of negative feedback in 2005. Other areas of negative feedback from users relate to the popularity of services which requires many library services to manage demand through booking systems, time restrictions and limiting access to services such as downloading, e-mail, continuous streaming or use of external devices.

As in the earlier survey, respondents reported a low level of concern from users about unfiltered access and the risks of children accessing inappropriate sites.

Comments about internet access in libraries

Thirty-four per cent of respondents provided comments about internet access in libraries.

Comments cover issues such as the importance of internet services to library users and the community. In some communities the library service is a 'safety net' for those who do not have access to a computer or to the internet at home. Some respondents commented that there has been increasing use of the public library's internet services over the past few years for access to government information and services. Internet services have attracted new library users and have changed the way that libraries do their core business.

Some commented on the challenges of managing and monitoring internet services and internet use by children. While one respondent reported being 'pleased to see that Content Keeper [internet filtering software] is installed as a duty of care to young children' another stated 'I don't believe that filtering is a good solution for public libraries. It gives a false sense of security' and another that 'We have found that if the parents are made fully aware of their responsibilities regarding their child accessing the internet then there are no problems.'

Conclusions

As found by the earlier 2002 survey, this recent survey of internet access in public libraries demonstrates that libraries have well-developed policies and service practices to ensure that using the internet is a positive and rewarding experience for the great majority of users, including children. Libraries' internet services are well-managed, with regularly updated and endorsed use policies and strong community education programs. In many libraries, special attention is paid to the needs of children.

Libraries receive very few complaints about internet content. Such complaints and instances of inappropriate use are generally dealt with satisfactorily through the library service's policies and complaints procedures.

Although there appears to be an increase in the number of libraries using filtering software, this has brought its own policy and management issues, for example where access to legitimate sites is blocked.

As in ALIA's earlier survey, the findings of this 2005 survey support a conclusion that the current online content regulatory scheme and the federal government's policy position supporting community education relating to online content are effective and are broadly in step with community perceptions and values[5]. From the experience of public libraries there is not a high level of concern or complaint from users of public library internet services about offensive or illegal internet content.

There is scope for debate and development of best practice approaches in the public library sector relating to internet access services for children and the monitoring of internet use.

The level of awareness and use of NetAlert and ALIA information resources is commendable and is contributing to libraries providing effective and responsible services. There is scope for further promotion of these resources.

ALIA will incorporate the findings of the survey into its lobbying and advocacy for public library services and in support of freedom of access to information and will publicise the finding to its members, the library sector and more broadly to the community.

Acknowledgements

The Online Content and Regulation Reference Group thanks the state and territory libraries for their assistance in publicising the survey. The Reference Group also thanks all those public library services who participated in the survey.

References and further information

Australia. Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Review of the operation of schedule 5 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Report. 2004. (http://www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/10920/Online_Content_Review_Report.pdf)

Australian Library and Information Association. Statement on online content regulation and related information resources (http://www.alia.org.au/advocacy/internet.access/)

Australian Bureau of Statistics. Public libraries 2003-04 (8561.0, 2005)

Environmetrics. NSW public libraries and e-government: research report. Library Council of New South Wales, 2005 (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/pln/projects.cfm)

Libraries building communities: the vital contribution of Victoria's public libraries - a research report. Library Board of Victoria, 2005 (http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/about/information/publications/policies_reports/plu_lbc.html)

NetAlert Librarian's guide to the internet (http://netalert.net.au)

Endnotes

1. 1Australian Bureau of Statistics. Public libraries 2003-04. 2005, p9.
2. The report of the 2002 survey ishttp://www.alia.org.au/.au/advocacy/internet.access/
3. The terms of reference and further information about the Online Content and Regulation Reference Grouphttp://www.alia.org.au/.org.au/governance/committees/content.regulations/.
4. According to ABS. Public libraries 2003-04 (2005), at the end of June 2004 Australia had 532 local government library organisations operating from 1716 library locations and eight national, state and territory libraries with 17 locations.
5. 5The government's position is set out in the 2004 report of the Review of the operation of schedule 5 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (http://www.dcita.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/10920/Online_Content_Review_Report.pdf).

Australian Library and Information Association
31 March 2006

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