[WEB4LIB] Re:Digital Divide (was Re: RE: Questia: who is behind

[Tom Edelblute]

Unfortunately I have to agree with this statement.  Of the library staff
that I work with here and in my previous job in the University, I would
say that 99% of them do not know enough about information technology to
ask the right questions when issues are presented to them.  I had to
talk with our ILS vendor today because even I don't know everything I
need to know about server maintenance issues.
-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Edelblute
Reference and Technology Librarian
Anaheim Public Library   phone: (714) 765-1759
500 West Broadway        fax:   (714) 765-1730
Anaheim CA 92805         e-mail: thomas at anaheim.lib.ca.us

Lin Light wrote:
> 
> Ok.  I'm too work in the Public sector, but I've wonder for a long time and
> I must ask; "Am I alone in thinking that those who guide our thinking on
> technological issuse really isn't in our profession, but really the
> marketing Wizards of the technology industry?"
> Lin
> 
> Tom Edelblute wrote:
> 
> > All right you accademinc, its time for someone from the public library
> > sector to put their two cents in.
> >
> > Here in Anaheim, 82% of the children that go to school within the
> > Anaheim School District live below the poverty line.  They come to the
> > public library to complete their school assignments because they do not
> > have a computer at home.
> >
> > So don't tell me that the digital divide is a First World vs. Third
> > World issue, we have it right here in Southern California.
> > --
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Tom Edelblute
> > Reference and Technology Librarian
> > Anaheim Public Library   phone: (714) 765-1759
> > 500 West Broadway        fax:   (714) 765-1730
> > Anaheim CA 92805         e-mail: thomas at anaheim.lib.ca.us
> >
> > Tony Barry wrote:
> > >
> > > At 5:56 PM -0800 1/2/2001, Robert Tiess wrote:
> > > >Dan Lester wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>  DB> Also, do
> > > >>  DB> not add to the Digital Divide.
> > > >>
> > > >>  Yawn.  The digital divide is an invention of a bunch of liberal
> > > >>  whiners who don't have enough trees to hug.
> > > >
> > > >Dan, now I realize you might have been on a sort of roll
> > > >here debunking post after post, but surely you don't think
> > > >every single family or child out there has the money or
> > > >sufficient local informational infrastructures in place
> > > >(e.g. wired libraries and schools) to put them all online
> > > >and in reach of the same research resources you have
> > > >access to in your institution.
> > >
> > > The digital divide is between the first world and the third world. In
> > > rich countries like the US and Australia (my country) the poor have a
> > > chance to get access via public libraries and other institutions. But
> > > the bulk of the world's population hasn't even got a phone let alone
> > > internet access.
> > >
> > > Let's remember folks we are talking about the world, not just the
> > > relatively poor in the rich countries. From where the bulk of the
> > > world's population sits the poor in the first world are pretty
> > > comfortable. For instance they don't face the risk of starvation or
> > > an AIDS epidemic which in Africa and Asia will have an effect as
> > > ghastly as the Black Death.
> > >
> > > Tony
> > > --
> > > phone  +61 2 6241 7659
> > > mailto:me at Tony-Barry.emu.id.au
> > > http://purl.oclc.org/NET/Tony.Barry
> 
> --
> Lin Light
> Head of
> Technical Services/Automation
> Herrick District Library
> 300 S. River Ave.
> Holland, MI 49423
> llight at lakeland.lib.mi.us
> Voice-616.355.3727
> Fax-616.355.1426