Foreseeing the Second Wave of the Digital Divide

Efforts to narrow the digital divide continue across the country, within libraries and without. While 72% of Americans currently have broadband access at home (up from 63% four years ago), 28% still don’t. And that’s just one facet of the digital divide. As we crest the first wave of the digital divide by expanding technology infrastructure, another wave daunts us collectively. That second wave involves using technology effectively. Panelists at a local government briefing meeting in Washington, D.C., called “Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide,” discussed the information and digital literacy skills needed to make informed decisions in a networked world. Read a briefing of the briefing via American Libraries for more on the current state of the digital divide and digital readiness, as well as proposals to address the problem via additional infrastructure, policy shifts, and community involvement. And if you’d like to hear a bit more about digital literacy innovations you can emulate right now, a recent WebJunction webinar seems useful. “Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Digital Literacy Resources” provides insight from three presenters on their experience creating, promoting, and providing digital literacy programs and tools.