American’s Use of eGovernment

How Americans Interact with Government Online, a survey report published as part of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, has found that large numbers of people are utilizing government websites for information or to complete transactions. A telephone survey conducted during the last month of 2009 collected data about the number of Americans who used government services online during the previous year. Researchers discovered that 82% of Internet users, which represents 61% of all American adults, had accessed information or completed a transaction on a government website. Uses included downloading forms, renewing a driver’s license or car registration, applying for a fishing or hunting license, accessing health information, or applying for government benefits. This is important data for libraries, because we know that customers often use library-provided Internet computers to access these online government services. According to a recent survey, 56% of library computer users logged on to find out about a government service. This is another indication of how public libraries are becoming the digital hub for their communities.