Digital Divide Still Looming
Staff -- Library Journal, 1/22/2001
Former Commerce Department official Larry Irving, whose research fostered public awareness of the "digital divide," warned during his President's Program speech at the Midwinter Meeting that the divide between races and classes continues to grow. Moreover, he said, it's not just a divide among families and households: "the public institution divide is equally critical." Looming is "the broadband divide," in which only ten percent of the population has access to music, graphics, and video. "What's the role of public institutions in terms of broadband access?" he asked. "I think, increasingly, libraries are going to be the access points for broadband." He added, "Addressing the digital divide can put some meat on the bones of this 'compassionate conservatism' concept." Irving was followed by several speakers amplifying concerns about the digital divide and its effect on various constituencies. Most provocative was Mark Lloyd, executive director of the Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy, who noted that, while the District of Columbia Public Library has a budget roughly comparable to nearby suburban libraries, it provides far fewer services and offers creakier facilities. "I don't think the problem is technology," he said, adding that "we don't have much of a conversation about how we are using our resources."
