I can only speak for the Detroit and Los Angeles/Santa Monica/Beverly Hills library systems but I can say the overwhelming majority of people using the public computer terminals are the elderly, homeless, and poor.
In the Southern California area, it provides a respite from the unrelenting sun and stifling heat during the day. In addition, it is one of the few venues that provides a source of entertainment for those who could not otherwise afford it.
I don't know if this is still true, but part of my education involved taking quarterly trips to the library where we were taught how to properly research a topic and how to determine if a source is credible or not.
In the Southern California area, it provides a respite from the unrelenting sun and stifling heat during the day. In addition, it is one of the few venues that provides a source of entertainment for those who could not otherwise afford it.
I don't know if this is still true, but part of my education involved taking quarterly trips to the library where we were taught how to properly research a topic and how to determine if a source is credible or not.