Libraries and the Digital Divide

 By Melissa Davis

With growing advances in technology, many wonder what the future looks like for libraries. Readers and  knowledge seekers now have access to search engines like Google and millions of books and texts with the help of E-books and digital book stores. With so much available at the tip of your finger tips, why visit a library? What could it offer you that a phone, tablet or computer couldn't? Washington D.C.'s Martin Luther King Memorial Library might have an answer. 

Recently, the MLK Memorial Library embarked on an 18-month, 3.4 million dollar renovation creating a technology hub. This space grants patrons access to over 80 desktops, rows of tablets, a Skype station and a 3D printer. The library also provides one-on-one stations where library staff can assist patrons with there technological needs. With this massive addition to their library, they are able to close the digital divide by creating a large technology filled space to draw patrons in. 

A lot of libraries have been going this rout. Providing patrons with a safe space and making technology devices readily available to its patrons, it is creating an inclusive space for individuals to complete assignments and research. 

Below is a video from the American Library Association on the grand opening of the Digital Commons at the MLK Memorial Library:

Works Cited:

Peterson, Andrea. D.C.'s MLK Library opens new Digital Commons (Posted 2013-08-10 01:20:21): The library's public technology hub is aims to bridge the digital divide. ProQuest, 2013, https://login.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/d-c-s-mlk-library-opens-new-digital-commons/docview/1418885012/se-2?accountid=35685.