Название: Without a Net
Автор: Jessamyn C. West
Издательство: Libraries Unlimited
Год: 2011
Формат: pdf
Страниц: 291
Размер: 2,3 mb
Язык: English

I wrote this book in 2011, but much of it holds true today. Understanding the digital divide means understanding the people affected by it and understanding the technology that thwarts them. This book is a combination of practical and philosophical approaches to working with the digitally divided.
Finding the right combination of personal motivators is key to helping people learn, more so than individual intelligence or technical background. The library setting is integral to this: a public setting, available to everyone, with computers and internet access and at least the occasional staff member to help out. While many people regularly use computers at work, school, and home, some people lack this access for a variety of reasons. Some studies claim the number of “offline” people in America is as high as one-fifth of all adults. When those people need to use technology, they’re often at the public library. We need to be responding to these people appropriately and effectively. We are one of the integral bridges across the digital divide.