Technology in Libraries Critical to Unemployment Turnaround, Access to Social Services, Study Finds

As government agencies push what have traditionally been paper-based processes and services online, public libraries are seeing more demand for access to technology so that citizens can interact with their government.

But there's a catch-22: Public libraries are faced with reduced funding and shorter operating hours. A report released this month shows that while the public is increasingly using the Internet at libraries for job and e-government resources, funding cuts at state and local levels are forcing libraries to "literally lock away access to these resources as they reduce operating hours.