Using Public Libraries to Provide Technology Access for Individuals in Poverty: A Nationwide Analysis of Library Market Areas Using a Geographic Information System

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Abstract

Public libraries are in the policy-making spotlight as a means for insuring equitable information access. Equitable access is important because it is substantially lower in most minority populations as well as in populations with low income. Federal and private donation monies are being made available and earmarked for public libraries to help equalize technological access. To allocate these funds optimally, it is important to know the market areas served by each individual library outlet. This article reviews the common methods used for assigning market areas to library outlets and examines the calculated percentage of poverty around public library outlets nationwide. The assumptions behind these market assignments are discussed. The implications of these poverty calculations for private and federal funding attempts to equalize technological access through public libraries are discussed in light of this article's findings and recommendations.

Section snippets

Internet technology and the role of public libraries

Internet use by the average American citizen began in the early 1990s. Not surprisingly, the initial group of mainstream Internet users were middle- to upper-class, characterized by higher levels of incomes, and more years of education than the average U.S. citizen (Booker 1995, McClure 1995, Sullivan-Trainor 1994/1995). These statistics have changed as the price of computer equipment and cost of connecting to the Internet have decreased, and U.S. Internet users are becoming more and more

Public library market area research

Historically, a public library's assigned service area is determined in a “hear ye hear ye” manner stating, “this geographic area shall be said library's service area.” As antiquated as this may sound, this methodology is still frequently employed in present day America (e.g., census tracts A, B, and C will be served by Branch Library X). Such assigned service area designations are often based upon the will of the library funders, not taking into account physical barriers such as highways and

Research methodology

The results and conclusions from this article are derived from two main data sources: a digital census tract map of the entire United States, and the Federal-State Cooperative System's (FSCS) database of public library outlets for 1993.

The census tract dataset was purchased from Claritas, Inc. (Ithaca, New York) and consisted of a complete digital set of the 1989 census tract maps for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). The associated poverty data for each census tract were

Public library outlet locations relative to poverty

Any attempt to apply a uniform methodology for estimating the individual market area size of each library outlets on a nationwide basis will result in some market area distortion for some outlets. Therefore, it is desirable to develop the simplest market area assignment possible for all the library outlets.

For this study, the simplest baseline market area to use is the census tract in which each public library outlet is located. One can always perform studies to determine how far the market

Estimated poverty using a fixed radius for market area

A fixed radius around a library outlet is one of the simplest way to generate an assumed market area for a travel-to type outlet. This is a widely-used method for estimating market area when primary user data are not available in the public or private sector. Different radii's distances can be used for these analyses, depending on whether the library outlet is in an urban, suburban, or rural setting. Thus, it can span census tracts and obviate some of the artificial constraints found in the

Estimated poverty using a gravity model for market area

An alternative method for approximating the market area of public library outlets is to assume that all library users travel to the closest library outlet, regardless of the distance. This method closely approximates a gravity model, a popular method for estimating the market area for retail facilities in the absence of primary data. This methodology results in irregularly-shaped and sized market areas resembling the cells of honeybee hives, with each line representing the line of equidistance

Analysis and comparison of market area assignment methodologies

This section compares and contrasts the poverty results using the different methods of assigning market areas to U.S. public library outlets.

Policy implications and recommended research needs

Real-world information requests about library outlet locations relative to poverty prompted the authors to conduct the above analyses. The analyses raise as many questions as they answer. Yet, the overall findings are relevant to practicing librarians, library researchers, and public library policymakers at all decision making levels.

Conclusion

Public libraries are being called upon to serve as technological information access points for the economically-disadvantaged, those who do not have the means to have such access at their own place of residence. Recent initiatives to help public libraries provide such services arose from substantial financial resources made available to public libraries.

To do so, however, it is important to know the extent to which existing public library outlets in economically disadvantaged areas already

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    Parts of this article are based on research conducted by the staff of the GeoLib Program at Florida State University through funding from the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy. All the authors of this article provided public library market area expertise or technology expertise in developing the methodologies for estimating the market area for public library outlets as discussed in this article. Opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the institutions that have sponsored this work.

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