Libraries Bridge the Digital Divide

Kranich, Nancy. “Libraries Bridge the Digital Divide.” Spectra 37, no. 7 (July 2001): 4-12.

This short article addresses the importance of the role of libraries in their communities, especially in the efforts to narrow the Digital Divide. The author re-states the fact that for many people, the public library provides their only access to the Internet. Written in 2001, it shows that the importance of public libraries in providing Internet access has been long-recognized.

Interestingly, the author also emphasizes the importance of libraries for “content, training, and expertise crucial to ensuring widespread public participation in our information society” (12) at a time when the nation’s main emphasis seemed to be getting workstations into libraries.