As an employee of a public library, the digital divide and internet regulation, specifically censorship and appropriate usage, are important areas of policy concern, as equity of access and freedom of information are some of the primary goals of the organisation.

Libraries have a responsibility to ensure that everybody has reasonable access to relevant information, which today often means a provision of internet access (Pautz, 2013, p. 310). Internet access is pivotal to societal interaction and participation, and can be considered an essential, similar to electricity and water (White House Council of Economic Advisors, 2015, p. 9). Home internet accessibility is shown to be directly affected by race, income and education level (White House Council of Economic Advisors, 2015).

This digital divide can be addressed by public libraries, initially by learning, through observation and community communication, exactly how people wish to use the internet in their library and if there is enough opportunity to do so. Policies will form around these needs, including the number of computers required, adequate level of internet connectivity, other types of technological equipment that could be provided, an update schedule, and how to manage access to these technologies. A simple and effective way to ensure everyone has an opportunity for access is a booking system which limits users by time (Pautz, 2013, p. 314).

Statistics show that smartphones have helped to bridge the digital divide, with the majority of American adults aged 15-64 now having a smartphone (Hall, 2013). This takes some pressure off libraries needing an ever-expanding number of expensive internet access computers, however it does mean that having a free wireless service is necessary.

Providing such broad access to the internet throughout the library brings questions surrounding censorship and appropriate use of the service to the fore. Policy should be aimed at assisting users to make educated decisions, giving clear guidelines on how laws apply to library internet use and what is appropriate and inappropriate usage of the service (Pautz, 2013, p. 312). This could be a plain english terms and conditions screen to click through before computers or devices connect. Filtering software is often inefficient and can make important information that patrons may be reluctant to ask for, such as information regarding sexual health, unfindable (Pautz, 2013, p. 313). This information should be available for the many that would benefit, and access to the service denied for those who refuse to adhere to the usage policy.

References

Hall, B. S. (2013, May 17). Smartphones have bridged the digital divide [Blog post]. Retrieved from  http://readwrite.com/2013/05/17/smartphones-have-bridged-the-digital-divide/

Pautz, H. (2013). Managing access to the internet in public libraries. New Library World, 114 (7/8), 308-  318. doi: 10.1108/NLW-01-2013-0007

White House Council of Economic Advisors. (2015). Mapping the digital divide [Issue brief]. Retrieved  from https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/wh_digital_divide_issue_brief.pdf