June 1995

The Honorable Al Gore, Jr.
Vice President of the United States
The Old Executive Office Building
Washington, DC 20501

Dear Mr. Vice President:

The members of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) are pleased to present this report on Internet Costs and Cost Models for Public Libraries. The report results from the Commission's statutory mandate to promote activities to extend and improve the Nation's library and information handling capability as essential links in the emerging global network infrastructure.

At a meeting at the Old Executive Office Building in July, 1994, you spoke to the Commission about the vision of the information superhighway. You called on NCLIS to inventory the challenges and respond to the questions related to libraries' roles in the National Information Infrastructure (NII).

Since meeting with you, the Commission has sponsored a study of Internet costs for public libraries. The project resulted from findings reported in Public Libraries and the Internet: Study Results, Policy Issues, and Recommendations which NCLIS issued in June, 1994. We found that 20% of public libraries were connected to the Internet. But we also found that public libraries had difficulty identifying and describing specific Internet costs. Public library respondents highlighted the critical need for additional reliable cost information to assist with Internet connectivity and in planning network services for the public.

The cost elements, models, and worksheets presented in this report are intended to serve as useful guides for public libraries and communities planning Internet connections and services. By identifying five representative connectivity models and seven broad cost categories, the report offers examples for use by public libraries planning Internet connectivity and services.

The value of this study rests more with the development of cost models, worksheets, and cost categories than with the representative costs presented in this report. However, the representative costs included in this report illustrate the significant variations that are possible in planning the networking permutations and configurations available to the public library community. The study shows that for an initial one-time cost of $1,475 and a recurring annual cost of $12,635, a public library can establish a minimal level of single-workstation, text-based Internet connectivity.

At a more complex level, the report describes a more sophisticated representative multi-media Internet public library connectivity model involving multiple workstations at multiple library locations for a one time cost of $266,375 and a recurring annual cost of $154,220. The wide variation in total representative costs associated with Internet connectivity are an indication of the need for this type of study.

The Commission's examination of Internet costs for public libraries is based on the belief that these community information centers will comprise an essential component of the NII in the future. The findings of this study are intended to provide a basis for extending the benefits of advanced information services to the Nation through our 9,050 public libraries. We look forward to working with you to extend your leadership in realizing the vision of universal service that will allow all Americans to take advantage of our rich resources in libraries, information, communication, and computing technologies.

Sincerely,

Jeanne Hurley Simon
Chairperson