areas where residents do not have up-to-date computers or the expertise to access the Internet. A report funded jointly by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States government highlighted the role of libraries in bridging the digital divide. Research was conducted by Samantha Becker, Michael D. Crandall, Karen E. Fisher, Bo Kinney, Carol Landry, and Anita Rocha. The Institute of Museum and Library Ser- vices printed the report in 2010. The report, "Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries," states the following: The wiring of public libraries has transformed one of the nation's most established community resources into a critical digital hub, where patrons can compete more effectively for jobs, improve their health, find key government services, and manage their finances. Computer and Internet access allows librarians to go beyond library stacks to connect patrons to all of the resources, services, and tools available online. In a world increasingly defined by technology, the public library is one of the widest bridges to the Internet and computers, not only for those who can- not afford their own connection, but for those who find the library is an easier, faster, friendlier, or more effective way to use these tools. INTRANETS AND EXTRANETS An intranet is the use of web technology for the sole, dedicated use of single-site and multisite organizations. Intranets are a way to distribute information, software, and other services within an organization using web-like software tools. Extranets extend the reach of intranets from internal-only communications to sharing documents, fixing software bugs, and providing information for business-to- business transactions. Online banking is an example of an extranet. Intranets and Extranets Intranets When they were first developed, intranets based on web technology served as reposi- tories of centralized information. Intranets still serve as a single source of an orga- nization's information. However, they 