Broadband Enabled Fabric for Public Libraries in Canada

Mirza Kamaludeen, Salam Ismaeel, Franca Petrocelli, Carm Scarfo, Soussan Tabari

Public libraries provide essential services to their communities through broadband Internet technologies. Broadband enables millions of people in these libraries to have access to e-government, employment, education, training, health, social networking and many other Internet-enabled services and resources. The public library service context is one in which multiple public access computers and mobile devices connected via the library’s Wi-Fi are in continuous use as they access services and resources, often using the same connection.

In this work used to 1) estimate the required bandwidth per user in a public library through identifying applications used in different areas at public libraries. Then, estimate the bandwidth required for each target area; 2) recommend a systematic approach to determining the number of active users (in-branch cardholders or community member) to the resident population served by the library; 3) recommend best practice minimum and maximum bandwidth required to serve an individual library based on the population served.

The intent is to leverage these recommendations to broadband requirements for public libraries across North America, more specifically within the profile of Canadian libraries. The goal is to provide the library sector with a practical guide in determining broadband requirements that will support their digital roadmap.

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