Looks like some companies have finally realized the benefit of rural America: it’s cheaper to live there, and the people have familiar accents.
“The company charges $35 to $50 per hour for IT expertise, which may cost around $100 in New York City. While this is no match for outsourcing rates in India, clients benefit from local accents and similar time zones — not to mention the absence of stigma sometimes attached to farming jobs out to foreign countries.”
What does this mean for libraries? It means that (if this idea catches on) a lot of smart people are going to be coming to small towns, and depending on their libraries to provide them with resources they find useful, such as fast internet access (as cable might not be available yet) and up-to-date computer books, whether in print form or through something like an O’Reilly Safari subscription. It’s something to think about.
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