The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study the role of the public library in the digital age. Over a three year period, they will conduct national surveys, surveys of library patrons, and focus groups to assess library use and preferences in the midst of the changing digital landscape.
You can find more information about this initiative at http://pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2011/Gates.aspx.