caltrek: What percentage of the population of the United States has access to free or low cost usage of computers and the internet by visiting their local libraries?
Ask Bing: According to the web search results, there is no definitive answer to the percentage of the population of the United States that has access to free or low cost usage of computers and the internet by visiting their local libraries. However, some estimates can be derived from the available data.
One report from 2010 states that nearly one-third of Americans age 14 or older–roughly 77 million people–used a public library computer or wireless network to access the Internet in the past year(1). Assuming that the population of the United States in 2010 was about 309 million, this would imply that about 25% of the population had access to library computers and internet in that year.
Another report from 2021, based on the 2018 American Community Survey, shows that 27% of respondents age 16 or older used a library’s website in the previous 12 months(2). This suggests that at least 27% of the population had access to library internet services, either through their own devices or library computers, in 2018. However, this may not capture the full extent of library internet access, as some people may use library computers or wireless networks without visiting the library website.
A third report from 2005 indicates that 98.9 percent of all public libraries offer free public access to computers and the Internet(3). This means that almost all libraries in the United States provide the opportunity for people to use computers and internet at no or low cost. However, this does not necessarily mean that all people who live near a library can or do take advantage of this service. There may be barriers such as limited hours, availability, or quality of computers and internet, as well as personal preferences, needs, or circumstances that prevent some people from using library computers and internet.
Therefore, based on these sources, it is likely that the percentage of the population of the United States that has access to free or low cost usage of computers and the internet by visiting their local libraries is somewhere between 25% and 98.9%, depending on how access is defined and measured. However, more recent and comprehensive data would be needed to provide a more accurate and reliable estimate.
Sources:
(1)
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/m ... education
(2)
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Cens ... cs-49.pdf
(3)
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/ ... echnology
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