From May 18 to June 1, 2009, the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) is participating in a nationwide Internet survey to find out how people use the free computers and Internet connections in public libraries. The U.S. IMPACT web survey is being conducted by the University of Washington Information School with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Until now, there has been no nationwide research about how library computing services fit into people’s lives. Some believe that library computers are used mostly for entertainment, but librarians report that people use them to find jobs, stay connected with family and friends, or to get health information. The goal of the U.S. IMPACT studies is to collect evidence about the ways computers in public libraries help people and their communities across the United States. This information will be used to improve these services and to inform policy makers about how best to fund and support them. In these hard economic times, this information will be invaluable.

You can access the web survey from the PLCMC web site at www.plcmc.org (or http://www.uwsrd.org/impact/index.asp?LibID=NC0045) from May 18 to June 1, 2009. The survey is available in both English and Spanish. The survey is completely anonymous and takes 10 to 15 minutes to fill out. The researchers at the University of Washington encourage you to take a few minutes to help improve public library computing services across the United States. For more information, ask at the library information desk, or visit the IMPACT studies web site at http://impact.ischool.washington.edu/.