Libraries and the digital divide

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Coined in the 1990s, the digital divide once referred to the difference between those with access to technology and those without. This is no longer the case since there have been massive changes in technology’s use. Today, the digital divide is about how to use technology appropriately (Huffman). The five factors contributing to the divide are income, age, race, education, and physical abilities. Even though most schools in the US have computers and internet access, only one in five teachers feel they have enough technology education (Edelman, 2015, as cited in Huffman, 2018). Access to technology is higher now and keeps rising. The issue now is to train people to use technology appropriately. This is crucial since people are becoming targets of scammers and bullies, plagiarizing unintentionally, and saying and sharing things that would not be shared in-person.

In their article, Buyannemekh, Gasco-Hernandez, and Ramon, explain the attributes of smart citizens or smart people: life-long learners, contributors, problem-solvers. But how can we become smart citizens? That is where the role of public libraries comes into play. The authors assert that “public libraries that have been neutral, inclusive spaces where diverse stakeholders can access and use various technologies with the purpose of increasing their action potential and creativity as smart citizens contributing to smart city development.”

Indeed, our own San Diego Public Library provides many educational family and youth programs as well as accessibility services. To check out their offerings go to https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/services. If you have young children, 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a fun literacy program for pre-reader.


Works Cited

Buyannemekh, Battulga, Mila Gasco-Hernandez, and Gil-Garcia J Ramon. "Fostering Sma
rt Citizens: The Role of Public Libraries in Smart City Development." Sustainability, vol. 16, no. 5, 2024, pp. 1750. ProQuest, https://login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?auth=shibboleth&url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/fostering-smart-citizens-role-public-libraries/docview/2955913284/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051750.

Huffman, Stephanie. "THE DIGITAL DIVIDE REVISITED: WHAT IS NEXT?" Education, vol. 138, no. 3, spring 2018, pp. 239+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A531709941/OVIC?u=cclc_palomar&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=1a5ff26b. 

 

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