Information Technology and Libraries· 2014Q1
Rural Public Libraries and Digital Inclusion: Issues and Challenges
- 123citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2014year
Short summary
Rural public libraries offer fewer technology services than urban/suburban libraries, not just due to weaker infrastructure, but also lower staffing and reliance on local funding, hindering their customer service potential.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Rural libraries offer fewer technology services compared to urban and suburban libraries.
- Disparities are linked to weaker technological infrastructure, lower staffing, and local funding reliance.
- Lower staffing, not dedication, is a key factor limiting rural library service potential.
- Funding mechanisms relying primarily on local monies exacerbate these challenges.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Rural public libraries have been relatively understudied when compared to public libraries as a whole. Data are available to show that rural libraries lag behind their urban and suburban counterparts in technology service offerings, but the full meaning and impact of such disparities is unclear. The authors combine data from the Public Library Technology and Access Study with data from smaller studies to provide greater insight to these issues. By filtering these data through the Digital Inclusion framework, it becomes clear that disparities between rural and non-rural libraries are not merely a problem of weaker technological infrastructure. Instead, rural libraries cannot reach their full customer service potential because of lower staffing (but not lower staff dedication) and funding mechanisms that rely primarily on local monies. The authors suggest possible solutions to these disparities, while also discussing the barriers that must be overcome before such solutions can be implemented.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Information Technology and Libraries, 2014 · DOI ↗
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Field: Library and Information Sciences
Library and Information SciencesSocial Sciences