Week 4: The US Digital Divide

Ensuring equality in the way that all members of society can access technology and the internet is important. As information professionals, we witness first-hand the ways that information management and distribution has evolved. From a LIS point of view, we have gone from paper catalog cards to online, digital catalogs. For us, this move is considered life-changing. Why wouldn't someone want to be able to access information of a book online from anywhere, right? Well, it was only recently that I began to consider the implications that this move towards digitalization could have on members of society unfamiliar with technology. I see people like my grandparents scrambling over completing required online applications and forms online and am thankful that they have children and grandchildren who can help them out with the process. Strover did a great job in addressing this misunderstanding of the digital divide. She defines the "drive by" approach to the digital divide: where simply providing access to computers and the internet is enough, as the assumed quick fix and goes on further to point out that issues such as content, literacy, and education are factors contributing to the digital divide that must be addressed. I think that this article is a great source for all MI concentrations. Is it enough to offer technology courses for library users? Or digitalize entire collections? We need to consider HOW to address the digital divide. Hopefully that's something we can further in this course. Any ideas Library Folk?