Digital Literacy at San Diego County Library

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The “digital divide” is the separation between those that have access to computers, the internet, and technology compared to those individuals that do not. In order to help mitigate this enconomic and social inequality, San Diego County Library (SDCL) created a Digital Literacy Initiative to give community members opportunities to learn and connect while promoting access to technology resources. SDCL’s approach to address the digital divide and decrease the gap in our communities included the following: • Providing staff trainings on new and emerging technology so that they can educate customers; • Increasing access to e-Materials available for customers; and • Increasing customer access to demonstration programs for emerging technology. Results from this initiative include positive feedback from staff who stated they felt more prepared to serve customers with new technology. Customers also showed great interest in our digital literacy programming, particularly coding with “Ozobots” (toy robots that empower gamers and learners to code, play, create and connect the physical and digital worlds) and designing with 3D printers. Therefore, rather than just providing access to internet services, SDCL is stregthening community members’ digital literacy and narrowing the digital divide by means of offering technology programming and resources.