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Running Heading: Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access Betsy Summers Emporia State University

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access Abstract We live in a society that is increasingly reliant on technology. From this

year's Arab Spring, to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stating in January that they will no longer mail out paper tax forms to post offices and libraries, (American Libraries, 2011), the ability for citizens to connect to the Internet is steadily shifting from a convenience to a necessity. Congress, in a recent directive to the Federal Communication Commissions (FCC) asking for the development of a National Broadband Plan for the country, stated that broadband "is the great infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century. Like electricity a century ago, broadband is a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness and a better way of life" (Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program (BTOP) Recipient Handbook, 2010, p. 3). It is our public libraries that continue to provide an essential service, allowing people without access to freely logon to the Internet, no matter where they live, or what their expertise. It remains the public library's directive to maintain an educated and informed citizenry.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access Mobile Services Public libraries have long understood the need to serve their patronage, no matter where they may live. Following through on this premise, bookmobiles were created in early 1900's as the library's first outreach service; books were taken out

to rural environments, where it was sometimes difficult for people to find the means to visit the physical library building, usually located in an urban setting. Today, libraries across the United States maintain bookmobiles that continue this tradition of providing a much-needed service to rural and urban patrons who simply cannot visit a branch library. While traditional books are still as valuable in everyway they once were, we have fully come into the age of technology. Because computers and the Internet are so prevalent in our society today, the need to know, access, and understand this technology has never been more important to our citizenry. A recent study on sustaining democracy in America said, "the federal government's current embrace of broadband services, including economic stimulus for rural broadband service improvements, in insufficient to ensure the United States will reach full-fledged universal digital citizenship" (Knight Commission, 2009, p. 48). The need to serve all of our citizenry has never been more important. Our bookmobiles can and must be retooled to meet this need. By adding computers and satellite services to each bookmobile, we could create a mobile fleet of information, carrying a fully functioning public library into our underserved populations. It would be a huge step in helping to bridge our country's digital divide.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access The Digital Divide What exactly is the digital divide? "The digital divide is about not knowing anyone who knows how to use a computer well enough to teach you. Its about not being part of a tech-literate culture and not knowing a way out of that setting" (West, 2011, p. xvi). Having access to the Internet affects a person's ability to find and apply for a job, research a homework assignment, or even gain access to their

own medical records (Li, 2011). Our government agencies, including Social Security and the IRS, are going online or are already completely paperless now. As our society continues of embrace and use Internet technologies, there are those populations in America who are being left behind. Almost one third of households in the United States do not subscribe to broadband access for their computers even though it is available, and only 72% of Americans use the Internet either at home, school, work, or the library (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). The National Broadband Map, developed by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) and FCC, shows how much of the United States is in need of basic broadband services (NTIA, 2011). There is a 10.1% gap in broadband usage between people living in urban vs. rural settings. Urban dwellers have a high-speed Internet rate of 70.3% access, whereas only 60.2% of their rural counterparts enjoy fast service (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2011). Although 99.3% of America's 9,221 public libraries offer high-speed access to the Internet, these stand-alone buildings are not reaching everyone (American Libraries, 2011). Public libraries can, and should, continue to reach out to those unserved populations in need of Internet and computer services.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access The Library's Mission Public libraries continue to serve in invaluable ways, now more than ever. The deep recession has highlighted the many free resources found at the library, including computers, software and classes. Nearly 87% of public libraries provide some sort of technological training to their patrons (American Library Association (ALA), 2011). With this mission statement being carried out across America, it is important for our public libraries not to forget the underserved. The question then becomes in what ways should our public libraries reach

out to those underserved patrons, especially the ones without Internet access? And, in the most practical sense, would it be feasible to retrofit our nation's fleet of bookmobiles with computers and satellite technologies to meet the needs of populations facing the prospect of being left behind in the digital world? While the recession has led to cuts in government budgets at the federal, state and local levels, it has become that much more important to communicate the value of library services and to identify, statistically, the specific ways in which these services improve the lives of individuals (Manjarrez, 2011). By reaching out across the digital divide, libraries create a positive public relations situation. In regards to overall impact of each dollar received from the community, if we directly link library services to social and economic benefits, we can more easily build a case for funding. Retrofitting our bookmobiles is one of the most cost effective ways for libraries to deliver Internet services to those underserved populations.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access Supporting Research A study funded by the FCC's National Broadband Plan finds that one in ten

rural Americans simply do not have the infrastructure to access broadband services, more than twice that of their urban counterpart. The study also finds that "rural Americans with broadband, meanwhile, are as active as their urban and suburban counterparts in using the Internet for shopping and taking classes online, suggesting that they use broadband as a way to virtually access the benefits associated with urban or suburban living" (Horrigan, 2010, p. 7). Job seekers and those striving to better themselves must use the computer for filing out job applications, applying to a college, or exploring Civil Service exams (Gloaszewski, 2011). Everything from an entry-level position in a casino to a bagging job in a supermarket requires the filling out of an online application (Barber, 2008). A national study in 2009 reported that 4.4 million economically impacted Americans used the library for job-related activities, including building a better resume and opening an email account (ALA, 2011). E-government is quickly becoming a reality. The overwhelming majority of information put out yearly by the government can only be accessed through their government website. Not only are IRS tax forms no longer being printed, many businesses are beginning to require employees to access and print their own W-2 statements online (American Libraries, 2011). Then there is the social, everyday aspect of being connected to the Internet. Whether it's email, social networking, sharing photos, writing a personal blog, checking the news, or shopping, these things all seem essential to the digitally

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access

informed. Public access computers in our libraries provide this free service to those without the means of logging on. In a U.S. Impact Study, respondents were asked to rank why they most use the public library's computers. The overwhelming response was for the social connection it gave them (Manjarrez, 2011). And we should not forget about the economic effects. The Internet has provided an extraordinary platform for innovation and small businesses. Anyone with a web address can become a successful entrepreneur. The Catch-22 becomes as the Internet continues to grow, its very growth is dependent on the ability of the nation's citizenry to access it. Although the ability to access broadband Internet cuts across all demographic groups, continually the poor, minority populations, rural populations, and the undereducated are the ones being digitally left behind (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2011). The core principle mission of the public library is to have and maintain an informed citizenry to enable a strong democracy. We stand at a crossroads in America. One of the possible outcomes in our future is leaving a large portion of our population without the means to inform themselves. As put best by the Informing Communities report, "we exhort our major public and nonprofit institutions to give new priority to values of openness, inclusion, and engagement" (Knight Commission, 2009, p. 62). So it is, once again, that public libraries are called to lead the way in keeping our citizenry informed. New York State's Four County Library System offers bookmobile and technology services to residents in the Adirondack and Catskill mountains. Their "cybermobile" serves patrons with no Internet service providers. "The Cybermobile

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access gives us an effective way to reach out to unserved residents who are unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise at a disadvantage" (Borman, 2009, pp. 4-5). Another example of taking computers to the underserved, as well as the

digitally uncomfortable, is King County Library System (KCLS) in Washington State. KCLS offers a mobile technology service called Techlab, which brings computer training and classes to seniors, low-income populations, and immigrants. The mobile bus is equipped with eight laptop computers loaded with productivity software, broadband Internet access, and a screen projector to assist with instruction (kcls.org, 2011).

Making a Difference The cost of these "hi-tech" cybermobiles, like KCLS's Techlab, can be prohibitive for a majority of public libraries, especially in our current economic condition. A fully loaded cybermobile can run anywhere from $125,000 all the way to $500,000 depending on the exact specifications (Freegard, personal communication, July 10, 2011). Yet, there is a simple, cost-effective, and practical, solution: retrofit our current fleet of bookmobiles with computers, satellite Internet service, offer basic computer instruction, and send them out on their typical routes. By taking the whole library into rural locations, we are providing a much-needed service to those communities and citizens who are unable to connect to broadband, and who also need help learning basic computer skills.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access

In order to implement such a plan, the first important step would be to create a task force. Called Bookmobile Retrofit Initiative National Group (BRING), this group would be made up of like-minded outreach librarians, many with bookmobile experience, who believe our public libraries could and should be doing more to help bridge the existing digital divide. Lending credibility and feasibility, as well as knowledge and connections, this task force would become the foundation on which to launch our bookmobile outreach goals. Next, in order to be considered for many grants, BRING would need to apply for a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizational status, an application is available through the IRS.gov website. The whole approval process, from start to finish, can take anywhere from two to twelve months to complete. During this time, BRING would also establish a mission statement, vision and goals, and address policies and procedures for the organization. The Board of Directors, which could very well be comprised of some initial task force members, would then establish an organizational chart for the non-profit. According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Library Survey, there are 797 active bookmobiles on America's roads (2010). BRING would then need to contact each of these public libraries and explain to them the vision of the organization. Each library would then be asked to please fill out a questionnaire. The questions would include inquiries into the populations their bookmobile(s) are currently serving, their population's general computer knowledge, the exact size of their bookmobile(s), the ease of retrofitting their bookmobile(s) to add computers and satellite, and their willingness to participate in the program. Getting these

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access detailed pieces of information is a crucial step in understanding need, assessing

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possibilities, and just as importantly, determining overall support for the program. While the surveys are being collected and analyzed, hopefully BRING will have received its non-profit status from the IRS. Then, the next step is to write for grant funding. An excellent website, showing hundreds of links to computer grants, is www.fundnetservices.com. One grant of extreme interest is the $4.7 billion BTOP funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This federal government program has already provided billions of dollars to 233 projects, including 66 public computer centers, some directly involving public libraries. The possibility of securing a grant for BRING's bookmobile project is real, because there is quite a large sum of money still available (BTOP Handbook, 2010). With our grant approved and check in hand, the plan then would be to send a percentage of grant monies to each public library who expressed an interest in retrofitting their existing bookmobile with at least two computers and a satellite dish with broadband capabilities. Each library would then be responsible for purchasing and installation costs, training staff to teach basic computer skills to unskilled patrons, and marketing the program. It is important to remember, however, that this retrofitting project truly does not require grant funding in order to succeed. With minimal upfront costs to each interested library, the idea of turning our existing bookmobiles into cybermobiles is not an expensive proposition. Two brand new Dell computers, loaded with productivity software can cost $1500, and monthly satellite broadband service can run $75.00; but these are not deal-breaking expenses, especially when there are

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businesses and people in each community who might be willing to donate, sponsor, or volunteer their time to help this program succeed.

Conclusion "In many locations, especially rural and remote locations, the library is the sole public provider of Internet access and may be the only place that many people from the community ever go online" (West, 2011, p. 64). It is the continued role of the public library -- a most sacred and trusted place -- to be the free provider of information, and information access, in whatever forms it may come. Public libraries will continue to play an increasingly important role not only in this access, but also in the teaching of technologies to underserved populations. This simple idea to retrofit our existing bookmobiles is just one way our public libraries can answer the call of an ever shifting directive to maintain an informed and educated citizenry.

Closing the Digital Divide Through Mobile Access References Americans Library Association. (2011). Public library technology landscape. Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study (PLFTAS) 2010-2011, 22-39. American Libraries. (2011). Public library funding & technology access study 2010-2011. American Libraries Magazine, Digital Supplement, 6-10. Boman, Greg S. (2009). Rural U.S. libraries: serving populations and meeting challenges. Library Student Journal, Vol. 4, 1-9. Broadband Technologies Opportunity Program Recipient Handbook (2010).

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BroadbandUSA: Connecting America's Communities, FY 2010, V. 1.1. National Telecommunication and Information Administration & The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009: Washington, DC. Federal Communication Commission. (2010). Connecting America: The national broadband plan. Washington, DC: FCC. FundsnetServices.com. (2011, July 13). Fundraising Programs. Retrieved from http://www.fundsnetservices.com/searchresult/4/Computers-&Technology.html Golaszewski, P. (2011, July 2). History of four county library system's cybermobile. Retrieved from http://www.4cls.org/cyberhistory.html Horrigan, J. B. (2010). Broadband adoption and use in America: OBI working paper series no. 1, 1-51. Washington, DC: FCC. HughsNet Business Solutions. (2009). Private networking via broadband satellite. Retrieved from http://hughes.com

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Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2010). Public libraries survey fiscal year 2008. Washington, DC: IMLS. Internal Revenue Service. (2011, July 19). Retrieved at http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/index.html King County Library System. (2011, July 2). Traveling Library and TechLab. Retrieved at http://www.kcls.org/travelinglibrary/ The Knight Commission. (2009). Informing communities: Sustaining democracy in the digital age. Washington, DC: The Aspen Institute. Li, Y., & Turner-Lee, N. (2011). Does place really matter? Broadband availability, race and income. Washington DC: The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Manjarrez, C. A., & Schoembs, K. (2011). Who's in the queue? A demographic analysis of public access computer users and uses in U.S. public libraries. IMLS Research Brief, (4), 1-8. Matthews Specialty Vehicles. (2011, July 8). Retrieved from http://www.msvehicles.com/ National Telecommunications and Information Administration, & Federal Communication Commission. (2011, July 5). National broadband map: How connected is my community? Retrieved from http://www.broadbandmap.gov/ U.S. Census Bureau. (2011, June 30). Household Internet usage in and outside the home, by selection characteristics. 2011 Statistical Abstract. Retrieved from

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http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/information_communicatio ns/internet_publishing_and_broadcasting_and_internet_usage.html U.S. Department of Commerce, & National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2011). Digital nation: Expanding Internet usage. Washington, DC: NTIA Research Preview. Van Acker, J. (2004). How to initiate a successful bookmobile service: The nuts and bolts guide. Bookmobile Outreach Services, 7 (2), 19-36. West, J. C. (2011). Without a net: Librarians bridging the digital divide. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

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