The project is focused on collecting and analyzing the types, speeds, and costs of internet connections at the 17,000+ public library outlets in the United States. Currently, there is no comprehensive dataset for internet connectivity for public libraries. This project is focused on assembling and analyzing the data related to internet connectivity to inform policies related to broadband deployment, help decision makers at local, state, and federal levels understand the current state of broadband in public libraries, and provide an open dataset to the library field for their use.
This project is in the beginning phases of collecting and assembling the data from a variety of sources, with a mixture of “open” and “gray” data sources. Outputs are expected to include an open dataset, a report summarizing analysis of the data, and different visualizations of the data for use by other researchers or library field stakeholders.
