Spreading the Word

Like every tax or tuition-supported institution, the library often finds itself in the cross-hairs of budget committees looking for areas to cut.  Sadly, public perception of libraries during this "Digital Age" remains skeptical.  Public libraries especially are viewed as obsolete by taxpayers who insist that Google and Amazon provide researchers and students with all the resources they need.  In their opinion, computer servers like those below have replaced bookshelves in importance.

Photo courtesy of http://123hdwallpapers.com/google-data-center-network-server-computer.html

To combat this negative image, the University of Maryland and the American Library Association partnered and released an infographic titled "Public Libraries & Digital Inclusion".  A sidebar argues that when libraries (97.8%, according to their study) provide free Internet access, these institutions also supplement this with expertise from trained professionals (librarians) free of charge.  Public libraries also offer technology instruction, immigration assistance, and guide those people seeking employment to appropriate resources--again--free of charge.  Perhaps more public libraries should promote themselves to city councils and budget committees with information like that supplied by the University of Maryland and the ALA.  A little self-promotion might go a long way!

The Digital Divide and the American Library Association

  

Because of its wide-ranging impact on libraries of almost every type, the Digital Divide has not gone unnoticed by the American Library Association (ALA).  Among its many publications on the topic, the ALA has released the latest "Fact Sheet" which spells out how libraries are tackling the problems posed by the unequal access to technology and the instruction on its use.  These problems include not only those suffered the user (patrons), but also the burden placed on libraries to maintain pace with the growing demand for computers, space, maintenance, and replacing advancing technology.

                                            Photo courtesy of University of California, Berkeley

The "Fact Sheet" contains links to dozens of surveys and statistics regarding public, academic, and school libraries which provide excellent starting points for anyone interested in investigating the topic further.  The publication also categorizes its contents into the aforementioned library types for easy reference.  It is clear to see the studies cited in this fact sheet is the basis for many other posts and publications on the Digital Divide, evidenced by the following excerpt:

• Virtually all libraries (98 percent) offer free public Wi-Fi access;
• 95 percent of libraries offer summer reading programs to forestall the “summer slide” in reading achievement experienced when learning takes a holiday between school terms;
• Close to 90 percent of libraries offer basic digital literacy training, and a significant majority support training related to new technology devices (62 percent), safe online practices (57 percent) and social media use (56 percent);
• 76 percent of libraries assist patrons in using online government programs and services;
• The vast majority of libraries provide programs that support people in applying for jobs (73 percent), access and using online job opportunity resources (68 percent) and using online business information resources (48 percent);
• A significant majority of libraries host social connection events for adults (61 percent) and teens (60 percent) such as book discussion groups or gaming programs;
• 45 percent of libraries provide early-learning technologies for pre-K children; and
• More than one-third of all libraries provide literacy, GED prep, STEAM and after-school programs.

It is clear that libraries are conveying a message when they provide such numbers:  libraries recognize the importance of access to technology (and all that entails) and are striving to provide it to as many of their patrons as possible.  This fact sheet is a powerful tool for librarians and library advocates in the battle for public opinion.

What to Do?

Public libraries (and librarians) would love nothing more than to provide patrons with a room full of new computers and access to the latest databases; however, money usually poses quite a roadblock to pulling this off.  In what other ways could libraries provide patrons with access to cutting-edge technology without stretching their already limited budgets too thin?  What about patrons who might have the funds to possess a cell phone, tablet, or laptop, but can't necessarily afford data plans or Internet service?

                                                             

   

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

After learning that nearly a quarter of its nearby population had no way to access high-speed Internet, Kitchener Public Library (KPL) in Ontario, Canada, initiated a program to add portable devices to its circulation materials.  KPL has 25 Aircards that provide borrowers with a personal wi-fi hotspot for lending periods of up to 3 weeks.  As a graduate student a decade ago, I remember very well having a laptop computer and only being able to use it for composing term papers or surfing the web when one of my neighbor's unprotected wi-fi signals wafted in through my window.  This would have--and could be, in the future--a program that I would very much take advantage of!  KPL's program also relieves some of the bandwidth burden placed on library branches and might defray some costs in terms of maintaining and replacing computers and tablets.  

      
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

  

The article's author, Daniel Kitts, cited an ALA study that revealed 65% of libraries did not have enough Internet workstations to satisfy their daily demand.  Unfortunately, that statistic speaks to how difficult Internet access is to obtain for many people and how difficult it is for libraries to provide it.               

Libraries Providing Internet Access a Bad Sign?

A New York Times piece published in July 2014 can be read two ways.  In her article, Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at Harvard University, cites data from several surveys and studies in highlighting the important role that libraries play in providing Americans with Internet access.  High-speed Internet access is "almost as essential as electricity," she claims.  Crawford goes on to argue for the centrality of libraries in giving patrons a place to apply for jobs, do their homework, and find information related to their finances, healthcare, and education.  Good news, right?

            Image courtesy of Creative Commons                

Crawford ends her article on a rather sour note:  "That libraries serve as the provider for millions of Americans isn't something to celebrate."  Rather, Crawford contends that such reliance on the library to provide public Internet services indicates a shortcoming.  The author notes that many public libraries are short on computers and bandwith, which leaves patrons with slow processing speeds when they finally have a chance to work on a computer.  Crawford fails to provide, however, any suggestion for remedying the problem.  Does providing high-speed Internet access fall on the shoulders of the federal government?  Cities and local governments?  How do we address the lack of access to high-speed Internet in rural areas?  Crawford succeeds in raising an important question and it will be up to library professionals in the very near future to provide a solution. 

The Digital Divide

For many people, libraries serve as a source of knowledge and information whether they're located in a high school, at the center of a university campus, tucked away in a law firm, or parceled out in dozens of branches throughout a metropolis.  Libraries are becoming more and more a community center, meeting place, and space for creativity as well.  And because many libraries are open to the public free of charge, it would follow that anyone and everyone has equal access to the materials they seek.  However, locating information today largely requires the use of advancing technology:  computers, electronic databases, wireless networks, and the knowledge of how to use these tools in order to find the most relevant material.  Unfortunately, these things are not as widely available one might suppose and, in fact, there exists quite a gap between the "haves" and "have nots", if you will. This inequality in the access to and ability to make use of library technology is known as the "Digital Divide".

Image courtesy of http://dollarbits.com/great-divide-low-priced-home-sales-sink-high-priced-ones-rise/

Here is a brief YouTube video that explores the basics: