Module 5: The Digital Divide

Critical Response      Module Five   James Haske IRLS551         Spring 2007 

Ms. Kawasaki first begins her essay by providing some background information and an explanation of multiliteracies, which she says help libraries understand the fundamentals of language, literacy and knowledge acquisition by diverse people, with or without physical, linguistic, psychological or socioeconomic limitations.  She says that according to Orange & Osborn 2004, they recommend applying the fundamentals of multiliteracies for consideration and incorporation into collection development and outreach programming.  I can appreciate the comparison Ms. Kawasaki makes between the points of multiliteracies and Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), but I feel the more important underlying issue to explore, is the effect that the prominence of the multileracy requirement will have on those already struggling in the digital divide.

In the traditional definition of literacy, a person is literate when they can both read and write.  However, as the world becomes increasingly dependent of multi-media resources, literacy is quickly including the understanding of multi-media tools such as video, audio, and electronic devices.  In this new world, literacy becomes less about understanding how to read or write and more about the ability to convey and retrieve information and meaning.

As children and adults struggle to learn these new skills, those with disabilities, such as the visually impaired, risk being unable to use these new communication techniques and not fully grasp meanings conveyed in mediums impossible for them to observe or utilize.  Technologies such as Braille, were developed to aid the visually impaired in understanding the main medium of information transmittal, the written word. Now as the mediums of information transmission change to include multi-media and multi-mediums, it is imperative to develop new means for the visually impaired to keep pace.

Libraries and schools are two institutions, which play vital roles in the education multiliteracies    to the public. Libraries are quickly becoming institutions beyond the book. With multiliteracy quickly becoming an essential skill for the public they provide a grand variety of information transmission mediums. In addition to learning these new mediums themselves, librarians must learn how to effectively provide the medium to the affected populations such as the visually impaired, which ensures that they are provided equal access to all information a library has to offer.

Technologies are changing the ways many people are getting and transmitting their information. These technologies have the ability to further alienate populations like the elderly, the poor, those with learning disabilities and the visually impaired, by making it more difficult for information and meaning to be accessed. However, these same technologies also have the ability to provide new ways to provide information and meaning to those with disabilities and it is the job of libraries to ensure that these technologies do so.

On the third page of Ms. Kawasaki’s essay, she says that librarians should begin reinforcing collection development and consider equitable services by first identifying and analyzing the barriers that may disrupt service to groups of the population.

I support this idea and would cite a quote from a paper written by Michael Gorman in which he states, “The ultimate state of being to which we should aspire and to which all our efforts should be directed is universal access to high-quality library services” (Gorman, 2006. p. 1). Libraries are dedicated to providing equal access to everyone. The ideal would be that every bit of information in a library would be accessible to every person who walked through the door. Libraries have made significant progress in reaching this goal.

As far as steps that can be taken, there are a few ways to work toward Gorman’s goal for public libraries of universal access to high-quality services. The creation of innovative programs and services that target the needs of the elderly, the poor, recent immigrants, and those with disabilities will be major steps in slowing the digital divide. The tools some public libraries have recently introduced to meet these goals include the creation of collaborative partnerships with social agencies and the identification of special and community needs to create programs and services that serve them best. The thread that runs through each of these success stories is relationship building.

            This idea is supported by Salinas, who sees collection development as a potential tool to address digital divide issues.  She sites methods like subscribing to a variety of specialized databases and keeping issues like diversity and literacy in mind when developing collections.  (Salinas, 2003)  Aside from collection development, partnerships between public and private organizations, such as the case with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, offer a practical way to narrow the digital gap.  Building forward-looking alliances between public and private entities would continue to create a cooperative atmosphere conductive to problem solving initiatives.

On the fourth page of her essay, Ms. Kawaskai says that “inclusion of diversity is not achieved by a mere presence of diverse people in libraries, but may be reached by providing equitable delivery of library service in a variety of modes so that anyone can access information easily regardless of limitation.”  Later she says that “the multiliteracies framework would be helpful to implement this idea in service planning.”

To be effective in this function, providing access to technology must further include the tools and skills to use an array of formats which would require educational programming. In fact, technology must become one of those tools themselves and in doing so, add useful meaning and value to the lives of those who need it most.  “The most prevalent way that libraries help the public gain technological literacy is by providing one-on-one assistance to their patrons. This personal assistance includes initial instruction in how to use computers as well as help when patrons have problems with them.” (Heuertz, L, et. al., 2002, p.16).

Ms. Kawasaki concludes her paper by emphasizing that the ultimate goal of outreach programming and collection development is to make library resources available to all.  The most important role of librarians is a mediator between people and information.

I also support this idea because I believe that the provision and implementation of outreach services is an area of social responsibility inherent to the library sciences profession.   As librarians, we are obligated to take steps necessary to provide equal and unbiased access to our populations to the best of our abilities.  No matter what our specific library situation, there is an obligation to consider equal access for all, and do what we are able to make decisions and policies to benefit the great good of both society and also our profession.

References

Campbell, R.J. and Wabby, J. (2003). The Elderly and the Internet: A Case Study. The Internet Journal of Health: Volume 3, Number 1. Retrieved 4/15/2007 from http://www.ispub.com/ostia/index.php?xmlFilePath=journals/ijh/vol3n1/elderly.xmlCline, Z., & Necochea, J. (2003). Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE): More Than Just Good Instruction. Multicultural Perspectives, 5(1), 18. Retrieved Monday, April 23, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. (2005). Toward equality of access: The role of public

libraries in addressing the digital divide. Retrieved April 19, 2007 from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/nr/Downloads/libraries/uslibraries/reports/TowardEqualityofAccess.pdf

 Gentle, F., M. Knight, and M. Corrigan. (2005). Multiliteracies and Information & Communications Technologies: Ensuring information access in the classroom for students with vision impairment. Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. 

Gorman, M. (2005). What’s it all about? Beyond equity of access. Retrieved April 17,

2007 from  http://eres.library.arizona.edu/eres/docs/123238/whatsitallaboutbeyondequityofaccessmgorman.pdf 

Heuertz, L., A. Gordon, E. Moore, M. Gordon. (2002). Public Libraries and the Digital Divide: How Libraries Help. A Report to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation U.S. Library Program. 

 Kaiser Family Foundation. (2005).  E-Health and the Elderly: How Seniors Use the Internet for Health Information - Survey. Retrieved 4/15/2007 from www.kff.org/entmedia/7223.cfm Orange, S.M. and Osborne, R. (2004). From Outreach to Equity: An Introduction. In Osborne, R. (ed.), From Outreach to Equity: Innovative Models of Library Policy and Practice (pp. 47-50). USA, ALA Press. Osborne, R. (ed.). (2004) From Outreach to Equity: Innovative Models of Library Policy and Practice (pp. 47-50). USA, ALA Press. 

Salinas, R. (2003). Addressing the digital divide through collection development. Collection Building.  22(3): pp. 131-136.