Article Review 4

"we are the web"

Missingham, R. (2009). Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship. Australian Library Journal, 58 (4), 386 - 399.

Roxanne Missingham author of this article is Parliamentary Librarian of the Australian Parliamentary Library and is responsible for the delivery of research and information services to the Commonwealth Parliament and is currently the convener of Electronic Resources Australia (ERA). Other roles have included, president of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and work within the National Library of Australia (Missingham, 2009 p. 399).

This article by Missingham is based on her presentation to the ALIA Public Libraries Summit in Canberra in July 2009 and reports on the delivery of affordable authoritive databases subscriptions to participating libraries via Electronic Resources Australia (ERA). The paper also outlines the challenge to secure quality high-speed broadband Internet access across Australia in urban and rural areas. Also outlined is the existence of a digital (and information) divide between the urban and rural areas of Australia. According to Missingham a vast array of information choices are available to Australians living in capital cities with affordable access to networks, while for other Australians outside these areas the choices are limited. While this may be true (Graham & Marvin in Holloway, 2005) argue that large city centres especially those in large global cities, have received a disproportionate share of “information and communication technologies” (ICT) investment aswell (p. 170). Though (Servon, 2002) concludes that wealthier urban neighbourhoods are often “wired” before poorer urban and rural areas. Missingham believes that the challenges presented by this digital (and information) divide has been recognised by libraries and that their efforts to get Australians connected to the online environment and services is underpinning a digital nation and economy.

Of great importance to Missingham is the idea of digital participation and citizenship. Indeed she states, “In 2009, our understanding of what it means to be an Australian citizen encompasses participation in government and the economy via the digital environment” (p. 386). While research shows that Australians are early adaptors of technology and household access to the Internet is at 67% according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2008, Australia’s connectivity to the online environment is uneven and lagging behind other developed countries and we have someway to go before universal Internet access is achieved nationally despite growth in broadband access. Missingham shows this by providing examples of comparative data between Australia, UK and Canada in a report titled Australia’s Digital Economy: Future Directions. While issues of proper connectivity are outlined attention is also draw to the lack of provision for quality information resources, which are often only available via expensive subscriptions though large institutions, i.e. universities. 

Perhaps most tellingly statements submitted to The Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee in 2003 on the role of libraries in the online environment provide a firsthand picture of the divide. One passionate response from a Lismore resident speaks for itself “Australia currently has developed a two-tier system – the information rich in the metropolitan areas, and the information poor in rural and regional Australia. This is a national shame and disgrace” (p. 389). In response to the evident divide Missingham outlines the formation of ERA (Electronic Resources Australia) in May 2007, which has seen Libraries collaborate nationally through funding the provision of quality information via online databases.   

According to Missingham the issues that remain of the utmost importance are connectivity, content and capacity (p. 396). With the lack of broadband and affordable Internet access a very significant issue for Australian the launch of the National Broadband Network by the federal government in 2009 represents a major commitment to overcome the current lack of affordable access and infrastructure. The ability of libraries to help bridge the digital (and information) divide nationally is also evident with regards to information content and user capacity. Missingham believes that Libraries can play a part in providing the right support to ensure the development of successful literacy skills within communities and provision of quality information resources as well as the (ICT) skills needed to access and make use of information. Her conclusion is that a targeted strategy is needed to deliver social inclusion in the digital environment and that a digital economy can only be built by a community with digital access and digital content that supports their lives and digital skills (p. 397). Indeed Rao (2003) argues “The vision of an information-enabled globally-connected, knowledge – based society is driven in large part by the smooth integration of new media (ICT) with traditional media, combined with technical skill-sets, forward looking government policies, an attitude of lifelong learning, and a desire to improve efficiencies and harness innovation” (p. 1).

While the focus on the digital (and information) divide between urban and rural in this article  is worthwhile it could have been strengthen by exploring the digital divide within urban areas themselves, which as (Holloway 2005) points out has often received little attention in Australia. Certainly the formation of ERA and National Broadband Network are good steps forward in addressing the digital divide but one wonders if these measures alone will be enough, indeed as (Teo, 2001) points out there will always be individuals who do not use the Internet despite the fact that adequate infrastructure is supplied. 

References

Missingham, R. (2009). Encouraging the Digital Economy and Digital Citizenship. Australian Library Journal, 58 (4), 386-399.

Graham, S & Marvin, S. (1996) Telecommunications and the city: Electronic Spaces, Urban Places, Routledge, London.

Holloway, D. (2005). The Digital Divide In Sydney a sociospatial analysis. Information, Communication & Society, 8 (2), 168-193.

Servon, L. (2002) ‘Four myths about the digital divide’. Planning Theory and Practice, 3, 222-227.

Rao, M. (2003) The nature of the information society: A developing world perspective. The Media Research Hub Social Science Research Council.

Teo, T. (2001) ‘Demographic and motivation variables associated internet usage activities’. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 11, 125-137.