(Editor’s note: The Broadband Report is a regular feature in WRAL TechWire.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – People from all walks of life rely on public libraries to look for jobs, find health care, or read the latest news. Internet access at libraries today has evolved from a rare commodity into a core service.

Broadband through public libraries enables millions of people every year to have access to essential digital resources. This position of being a community access point for internet access – particularly broadband access – now appears to be of greater importance for many citizens in North Carolina and throughout the entire country.

A new report from the Aspen Institute looks at how – in an age of instant and abundant information – public libraries can drive community advancements unlike any other public institution.

Rising to the Challenge: Re-Envisioning Public Libraries explores how public libraries can respond as the digital age increases demand for high-speed information access, changes in our education systems, new job training models, and additional community services to help citizens successfully compete in the new economy.

The report is part of the Aspen Institute Dialogue on Public Libraries, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, said public libraries are platforms for learning, creativity and innovation today – opening up a whole new avenue for libraries and communities to close economic gaps and bridge social divides.

“As society tries to keep pace with the innovation happening around us, libraries have become a place for more than just circulating books,” said Isaacson. “Libraries need to be a place where people can come together, collaborate and be coached in digital learning.”

Rising to the Challenge recommends communities leverage three important library assets: connecting people and fostering relationships to strengthen the human capital of a community; using the both the physical and virtual spaces of libraries in new and innovative ways; and tapping into high-speed interactive platforms to curate and share ideas and knowledge.

The report also recognizes most of the nation’s nearly 9,000 public library systems and their 17,000 branches are successfully keeping up with the times.
Many provide free computer and high-speed Internet use, access to publishing software or high-tech machines such as 3-D printers, resume-writing help and support for job seekers, and tutoring services for students and immigrants as well as providing community rooms to host events such as a book club.

According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), internet access is the most sought-after public library service in the U.S. and is used by more than half of all visitors. Furthermore, public libraries offer broadband Internet connectivity at speeds that often exceed what is available at work or in the home.

There are 77 county, regional, and municipal library systems in North Carolina. On any given day, visitors stop by a reference desk at these facilities wanting to use the computers or connect to Wi-Fi as a guest. Annually, nearly10 million people use internet-connected computers at a public library in North Carolina.

Nationally, IMLS says nearly 80 million people used the public library for internet access in 2013.