Libraries and the Digital Divide

According to Pew Research Center , eighty-four percent of American households have access to the internet. Of that number, seventy-three percent have broadband access. That leaves a good number of people without an easy way to get onto the information highway. So much of our world now relies on email, online payments, reservations, job applications and education that the person who doesn't have a computer is at a serious disadvantage. Enter public libraries.

Thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ many libraries are receiving grants to purchase computers and high speed internet connections. Rural areas of the U.S. are particularly in need of upgrades as are lower income urban areas. Many of these libraries also provide classes on basic computer skills and navigating the web.

Speaking for my own public library in Salinas,CA https://www.salinaspubliclibrary.org/, I can see the daily improvement in people's lives when they are able to get online. We have time limits of one hour a day per card holder, but exceptions are made if possible. Many adults need to submit resumes or pay bills online. Often there is no other way to resolve disputes with a business but to submit a request online. Job seekers rely heavily on job posting websites. Many employers have pre-employment tests that are online only. Online searches for housing have become a necessary part of life if a person wants to be competitive against other prospective tenants.

Kids enjoy online gaming at most libraries and Salinas is no exception. The main difference is that the parents of the kids in our library usually don't have a computer at home. If they do, it probably isn't connected to the internet. They simply can't afford it. Many schools now provide tablets for kids to use at home, but if lost, parents have to pay for a replacement. It isn't unusual for lower income parents to keep the tablet locked up until they get home and can keep an eye on it. How are kids supposed to get comfortable using a computer? They go to the library, of course! We offer many educational games to keep them busy for the better part of an hour. If they bring a flashdrive, they can work on their homework assignments and save it for when they get home.

Many homeless individuals have no other way to stay in contact with family or world events without  public library computers. The digital divide is especially wide for this demographic. Some have cell phones and will connect to the library's free Wi-Fi. Library staff will often encourage the use of e-books and help with the account set-up process. Other times, the internet is a great way to just see what's going on in the world and have a dry place to sit for an hour.

Lastly, senior library users may not be able to afford an internet connection at home, but are curious to learn more about computers. Many will ask questions about how to download apps to their cell phones or how to use a specific program downloaded on public computers. While it may be frustrating trying to figure out at home, many computer problems can be easy solved just by asking a librarian. We also offer classes to improve basic computer skills and internet navigation https://www.salinaspubliclibrary.org/sites/default/files/media_browser/updated_lcs_fy_17_18_0.pdf. The majority of students are over the age of 50.

For those of us lucky enough to have high-speed internet and a newer computer at home, there may not seem like there's much to this digital divide. Unfortunately, people who haven't received a high school diploma, those that live in a rural area and/or those over the age of 65 are keenly aware of just how wide that divide can be. With the continued generosity of people like Bill and Melinda Gates, it's likely one day that anyone who wants to get online will be able to do so as easily as checking out a book at the library.😀

Cited works:

Bill Gates Helps Improve Rural Internet Access. (2003, May 13). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from http://highered.nbclearn.com.ezproxy.palomar.edu/portal/site/HigherEd/browse?cuecard=2066

 

Anderson, M., Perrin, A., & Jiang, J. (2018, March 05). 11% of Americans don't use the internet. Who are they? Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/05/some-americans-dont-use-the-internet-who-are-they/

 

Rainie, L., & Cohn, D. (2014, September 19). Census: Computer ownership, internet connection varies widely across U.S. Retrieved April 16, 2018, from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/19/census-computer-ownership-internet-connection-varies-widely-across-u-s/