Public Libraries in Bridging the Digital Divide

Public Libraries in Bridging the Digital Divide

Presentation at the 2024 CALA Midwest Annual Conference

Zheng, Guangchun

Chinese American Librarians Association

2024-05-24

Williams, Kate

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

eng

Presentation

In the context of the extensive integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and our social lives, we are concerned about people’s access to and use of ICTs and the inequalities among different groups, which is called the digital divide. Public libraries play an important role in bridging the digital divide in local communities by providing digital access and technology help programs. In order to have a better understanding of how this process happens, the presenter conducted an ethnographic study in the Urbana Free Library and the Champaign Public Library, serving as a technical assistant volunteer. A total of 28 shifts (2-3 hours per week) were completed in the two libraries, which generated 98 moments when a patron came up with a technical problem and got help from the volunteer. We examined the resources provided by the library, the characteristics of the community, and the interactions between patrons and the volunteer/librarians from the field notes. The presentation will report the findings and reflections from the study and hopes to provide reference and guidance for other libraries to carry out similar services.