Libraries and the Digital Divide
Libraries and the Digital Divide
By: Emily Medina
The gap between those with technology literacy and those without is often referred to as the digital divide. This divide does not only separate those who are unfamiliar with using technology but also those that do not have access to technology. The elderly who do not have any technology literacy skills and those living in rural, or poor, areas who do not have access to the internet are just some of the people affected by the digital divide. "[T]he divide is relatively stable, encompassing – in no particular order – income, age, location, education and language" (Umbach). In fact, the rate of growth for households in municipalities and rural areas is practically the same, so while both have grown the gap has not lessened since 1997.
With the rise in online classes, databases, catalogs, and resources it is partly libraries' responsibility to step in and help bridge the digital divide. Free access to the internet and trainings are just two of the ways libraries can aid the technologically disadvantaged. Umbach suggests something interesting though, using teenagers to help teach about technology. Using this technique of "matching those in the know with those who want to know" (Umbach) is an excellent way to not only bridge the digital divide but to help bring two separate communities together. It is this idea that Umbach believes will bridge the digital divide faster than equipment, as history has shown that communities can do anything when they work in harmony.
Works Cited
Umbach, Judith M. “Libraries: Bridges Across the Digital Divide.” Feliciter, vol. 50, no. 2, Apr. 2004, p. 44. EBSCOhost, https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=lxh&AN=12931886&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
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