Dan MountHead of Policy and Public Affairs Civic Agenda EU

Cross-European SurveyMeasuring the impact of ICT in public libraries

Dan MountHead of Policy & Public AffairsCivic Agenda EU

EUROPEAN CONGRESS ON E-INCLUSION

Background

BMGF Global Libraries ProgrammePan-European challengesEU 2020 Growth Strategy + MFF 2014-2020Policy review

o Non-formal and informal learningo Social inclusion (key target groups)o Digital inclusion – delivering a digital single market

Why did we need a cross-European Survey?

Public libraries are traditionally invisible in relation to EU policy making (except in the field of Culture and Books)

EU 2020 Growth Strategy + MFF 2014 – two references to public libraries in 4000 pages

Recent existing EU policy reference points:

o 2011 – Gdansk Roadmapo 2011 – Renewed Agenda for Adult Learningo 2012 – Draft Parliamentary Resolution on the Cultural &

Creative Sectorso 2013 – IPTS report on ICT and employability

Building the evidence base Policy-makers need data TNS survey – 17 EU Member States (80% population)

o Focus: library users, computer users and representative sample of population

o Respondents – 15 years +o Qualitative and quantitative data collected

65,000 public libraries across the EUo 80% of these offer free access to computers and interneto Correlation between public library funding and usage rates

Key findings Nearly 100 Million Europeans visited a public library (23% of

EU population) in the last 12 months Nearly 14 million Europeans used their public library to

access the internet and use computers in the last year 83% of those using free public library computer/internet

services reported a positive benefit in a range of areas:o Saving them time and moneyo Improving their education and skillso Providing access to government serviceso Increasing access to employment and health resources

Public libraries – a digital lifeline The number of respondents reporting that public libraries

represent their only source of free internet access is equivalent to the combined population of the four smallest EU Member States (1.9 million Europeans)

Respondents with no other options for free internet access were most likely to be:o Unemployedo Over 65 years oldo Disabledo From a Roma or ethnic minority community

Non-formal and Informal Learning In the last year 24 million Europeans participated in non-

formal/informal learning activities at a public libraryThose engaging in staff-assisted non-formal/informal

learning activities in a public library tended to be:o Unemployedo From rural areaso Over 65 years oldo From a Roma or ethnic minority community

Last year 2.3 million of these Europeans took part in a computer class at their public library.

Employment

Last year 1.5 million Europeans applied for jobs using free public library internet and computer services

A quarter of a million Europeans found work using free access to computers and the internet at their local public library

Social Inclusion

Young people (15-24) represent the largest demographic (38%) of public library computer and internet users

60% of Roma users of public library computers and internet services did so at least once a week

4.6 million Europeans report that they first used the internet in a public library

Conclusions Concrete evidence that public libraries:

o Provide essential services to local communities and key marginalised and disadvantaged groups

o Offer free access digital resources to those with no other option o Are attractive spaces for young people to access ICT and the internet

And that public libraries represent a pre-existing community infrastructure which can assist with pan-European policy objectives in relation to:o Non-formal and informal learningo Social inclusiono Digital Inclusiono Pathways to employment