The report reviews English public library services in terms of their approaches to developing WiFi working and their progress in implementing it, as well as identifying any barriers to successful implementation. It contains the key findings from a national survey and evaluates the Libraries Go Wireless pilot projects and comparable urban WiFi installations by Regenerate IT. It finds that most services are providing WiFi entirely free for the end user, and that most installations were initiated by the library service. The report suggests there is a need for national co-ordination of WiFi development so that library services can access advice and information on delivering WiFi.

The review was undertaken to get a picture of wireless hotspots currently available to the public through public libraries, as well as the numbers of libraries in the process of implementing WiFi and the barriers that they are encountering.

A national survey of English public library services was conducted firstly by sending a mini-questionnaire by email to 149 library services, and then by follow-up telephone interviews. An interview-based evaluation was undertaken of the ten Libraries Go Wireless pilot projects and five urban WiFi installations by telephone interview.

WiFi has been slow to implement in English library services compared to the USA, but provision now is spreading. WiFi in rural areas can be valuable for both users and the library service, but the greatest scope for growth is in main/urban libraries where there is a greater number of existing and possible users. Urban services have better access to technical support than rural services.

The WiFi pilot projects identified scope for developing other services using WiFi such as supporting educational provision in library rooms, flexible ordering by teachers in schools library services’ showrooms, and mobile ‘longer stay’ libraries in rural areas. All the library services involved in the evaluation are seeking to develop their WiFi service in the future. 

Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
Phone: +44 20 7273 1444
info@mla.gov.uk

01/09/2006

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Civic Regeneration and Information Management Associates

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Digital services

Internet access