Here is an excerpt from this ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy
resource that I found through another discussion list.

Carol Boyer
RESNA Technical Assistance Project
Arlington, VA

Libraries and the Digital Divide
OITP Policy Brief
Prepared by: Saundra L. Shirley

Excerpt:

The challenge to libraries regarding the Digital Divide is to justify the
role of libraries in the information age. The challenge of the Digital
Divide goes to the heart of the mission of libraries to provide equitable
access to information for all -- regardless of the information format. The
mission of libraries, as well as their associated services, programs, and
technologies, is a key reason that libraries are indeed central to Digital
Divide solutions and partnerships. Libraries, especially public, school and
academic libraries, are the only institutions that are already structurally
and programmatically prepared to fully address many of the Digital Divide
issues. Library programs, services, and staff expertise focus on not only
providing access to information and technology, but also on assisting
clients in gaining the abilities, skills, and knowledge needed to
successfully use information and technology. In addition, the sheer number
of existing facilities -- more than 16,000 public libraries, 98,000 school
library and media centers, and 4,000 academic libraries -- and existing
national and worldwide systems that coordinate resource sharing among
libraries and serve the information and research needs of its institutional
clients, is unparalleled. However, in spite of this expertise and resources,
libraries must prove themselves capable and ready to meet the challenges of
the Digital Divide to policy makers and other stakeholders....

The rest of policy paper is at:
http://www.ala.org/oitp/digitaldivide/brief_dd_libraries.html