3 Digital Divide

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the key terms in context
• Learn what causes the issues of digital inaccessibility
• Understand the role of libraries in addressing the digital divide

Key Terms

• Digital divide: uneven distribution in access, use, and skills
• Digital inclusion: strategies to ensure access, devices, and education for all
• Digital equity: condition in which everyone has the ability to engage fully
• Digital literacy: knowledge and skills for digital participation

Digital Divide

The digital divide has become a serious problem as access to the internet has become a necessity in contemporary society rather than just being a luxury. Librarians must help discover a way to bridge the divide over time, expanding on their understanding of the issue from access to literacy.

Access was the main topic of early discussions of the digital divide, seen as a split between those who could connect and those who couldn’t. King (2021) named availability and affordability as the main two obstacles to access. Geographically, many rural places just couldn’t have high-speed networks nor afford broadband services. Sometimes costs would even make access impossible in urban centers. Thus the solution might seem to be expanding broadband infrastructure and subsidizing costs to create digital inclusion. However, even if libraries can help bridge the access gap, that alone won’t fix the problem found in the new digital divide.

Despite an estimated 80% of Americans subscribed to home broadband internet (Gelles-Watnick, 2024), digital disparity persists in new forms. The new digital divide refers to gaps in digital access and in use and competency. A 2024 study challenges the notion that infrastructure alone will erase the digital divide (Pereira et al., 2024). Some areas with strong infrastructure still demonstrate low use. Findings also correlate lower income and education levels to lower technology use and literacy even when access is present (Pereira et al., 2024). Digital equity is necessary to ensure that everyone can participate in and benefit from digital activity in areas like civic engagement, employment, connectedness, education, and essential services. Information professionals play a key role in addressing the new digital divide by facilitating access, education, and support.

Many libraries offer services that help address some of the issues around the digital divide and digital equity. According to a survey done by the Public Library Association (2024), 67% of city and suburban libraries surveyed offered internet hotspots for patrons to checkout while only 39% of town and rural libraries offered hotspots as well. These hotspots can help narrow the digital divide by helping people who cannot access the internet in other ways, either due to geographic location or due to the cost. Libraries also help with digital equity by providing training related to different aspects of digital literacy. According to the same survey, 92% of libraries provide formal and/or informal training on general computer skills (e.g., using mouse and keyboard, word processing) and internet use (e.g., searching, social media, online safety) (Public Library Association, 2024).

Closing the digital divide and inequity requires more than just expanding infrastructure, it demands sustained attention. Libraries remain essential partners in the effort to provide the access, education, and community support that empower individuals to fully participate in a digital world, now and in the future.

To read more about the digital divide, see Part II of this textbook, where we explore the digital divide and how it effects age, disability, immigrants, Indigeneity, race, rurality, and socioeconomics.