Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy Warns of “Second Class Citizens” in the Digital Age
The Knight Foundation has released a new report Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. A good deal of the content either is or could be applies to libraries. The entire report is 148 pages, you can also download a 2 page summary that includes recommendations like these
- 2: Increase support for public service media aimed at meeting community information needs. Read more …
- 6: Integrate digital and media literacy as critical elements of education at all levels through collaboration among federal, state, and local education officials. Read more …
- 7: Fund and support public libraries and other community institutions as centers of digital and media training, especially for adults. Read more …
- 10: Support the activities of information providers to reach local audiences with quality content through all appropriate media, such as mobile phones, radio, and public-access cable. Read more …
- 12: Engage young people in developing the digital information and communication capacities of local communities. Read more …
- 14: Emphasize community information flow in the design and enhancement of a local community’s public spaces.. Read more …
- 15: Ensure that every local community has at least one high-quality online hub. Read more …
The Foundation has also taken actions that affect libraries:
$3.3 million to improve free, public Internet access in libraries in 12 communities
$2.28 million in broadband access projects in underserved neighborhoods in three cities
The UNICEF Bee and the Digital Doorway
This video, The Future of the Library, has been making the rounds on library blogs and after watching it I visit the blog Everywhere is Here. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the digital divide and the bubble I spend most of my time in so I was much more interested in this video. It is about the Digital Doorway and the UNICEF Bee, providing access to the internet for those in remote areas. The project was inspired by the Hole in the Wall experiment (perhaps more famous for inspiring the movie Slumdog Millionare)
The information and access we take for granted, so for granted in fact that we we’re concerned about the future of libraries as they have been traditionally, is something a great many people don’t have. This video and the projects linked to are in Africa and India but the divide is real, right here in the United States. There are a great many people without access to the internet access or a computer or a smartphone. People, who, if they did have access wouldn’t know how to use them. Just something to think about.
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