Community libraries and the digital divide

To what extent do
community libraries
address the concerns
of the digital divide?
- ian clark

Let me take you
back to 2010...

Let me take you
back to 2010...
...this may make you a little angry (sorry, not sorry).

Canary Wharf in the dark | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/24557420@N05/6340395135/Author: *Psycho Delia*
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

‘…where some councils have handed the
library back to the community, they have
often turned it into a much more vibrant
community organisation and space. Giving
councils total freedom on libraries could
mean that they create huge social value
from engaging a community in running its
own library, backed up with some modern
technology, whilst also saving large
amounts of money on overskilled paid
staff…’
Canary Wharf in the dark | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/24557420@N05/6340395135/Author: *Psycho Delia*
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

Dear KPMG,
I read with interest your report about public services.
Kindly **** up your ******* **** until your ****
turns blue you bunch of total ******* parasitic *****.
Your faithfully,
Me xx

It gets better
...it really doesn’t

I don’t believe that you just sort of
roll back the state and the Big
Society springs up miraculously.
There are amazing people in our
country, who are establishing
great community organisations
and social enterprises, but we, the
government, should also be
catalysing and agitating and
trying to help build the Big
Society.
Special Address: David Cameron gestures | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/8410102641Author: World
Economic Forum https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

UK-Russia Year of Culture 2014 unveiling | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/britishcouncilrus/10856653386/Author: British Council Russia
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Approximately 88 libraries now volunteer run...

Approximately 337 mobile and static libraries closed.

Number of volunteers has increased from 17,550 to 35,818.

Number of volunteers has increased from 17,550 to 35,818.
Number of full-time staff has decreased from 24,746 to 19,308.

Obviously, these changes
have implications for
users as well as for us.

Keyboard | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeroenbennink/3382865257/Author:
Jeroen Bennink https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
86% of households (22.5 million) have internet access.

10% of adults have never used a computer.

20% of UK adults lack the four basic online skills.

20% of UK adults lack the four basic online skills.
69% of C2DE lack skills.

Four key benefits...
1. Engagement in democratic process.
2. Economic benefits for the individual.
3. Healthcare advantages.
4. Educational benefits.

THE PEOPLE’S NETWORK
library commons_1456_PBurch | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pburch_tulane/4193799746/Author:
Tulane Publications https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

THE PEOPLE’S NETWORK
library commons_1456_PBurch | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/pburch_tulane/4193799746/Author:
Tulane Publications https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
‘a vision for public
libraries where they
support people in
reading, learning,
finding information,
and connecting to
government and
other online services,
free of charge’

TWO LIBRARIES CHOSEN
FOR THE STUDY...

ONE URBAN...
London(23) | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/tulliodainese/17820873561/Author: TullioDainese

One rural
Amersham Spring field | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/andyburke/14193059506
Author: Andy Burke https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

A “very deprived” area, “notorious” across the locality.

Primarily populated by first generation
immigrants who ‘often don’t speak English’.

Community group established to save from closure.

Community group established to save from closure.
Required to raise £70,000pa to ensure that the
library remains operational.

Operated under a Direct Services Organisation (DSO)

Council still effectively runs and owns the library.

Without the support of the volunteers, “it wouldn’t
be possible to keep it open”.

Without the support of the volunteers, “it wouldn’t
be possible to keep it open”.
Council provides 2/3s funding, volunteers
responsible for raising the remaining 1/3.

“…then the finance committee of the council will say, well,
‘you’re not breaking even’ basically so it’s not sustainable.”

“…you get people like me who are
amateurs really essentially taking over
roles from…people who are real
professionals…so I think it is a real
risk because then what you end up
with is...something that’s not being run
very well.”

Volunteers are not required to be computer literate
before taking up a role at the library.

Council initially planned to remove computer suite.

Reduced from 12 computers to 8.

Reduced from 12 computers to 8.
Upgrading equipment not considered a priority
by the local authority.

Before transfer, training was provided for users - now
takes place at another location.

Computer ownership around 52% in the locality.

Internet free of charge but may consider charging.

Internet free of charge but may consider charging.
Often queues to use the computers – particularly
children at the weekend.

“The problem we’ve got is the kind of
formal learning, certainly anything council
funded has sort of gone…we’re limited to
what we can do based on the skills set of
the group of volunteers at the time.”

“…many of the adults could go to other
libraries…it’s more about convenience…in
the sense that if you’re 15 and you need
to do your homework on a Saturday
afternoon then it might be a bit of a
problem getting to another library.”

“…the library would probably have to
close if that was the scenario [if the local
authority were to pull out]. I don’t think in
our area you are going to get a situation
where…things become completely
community run. I just don’t think we have
the same level of interest and involvement
from the right sorts of people.”

Library proposed for closure.

Campaign group emerged to save the library.

Community were required to put forward a business
plan.

Community were required to put forward a business
plan.
Had to demonstrate capability to staff, fund and run
library, completely independent of the local authority.

Approximately £20,000 invested in book stock.

Hold approximately £30,000 in reserves.

Personal donations around £2,500 per year.

Personal donations around £2,500 per year.
Receives £6,000 per year from the parish council.

The model used “just would not
work in an underprivileged area”
because “basically what you
need is a population that is
reasonably well to do”.

“…a lot of our volunteers are not
particularly at the leading edge
of computing skills. I mean, they’ve
been taught to use Spydus but if
you ask them to use Word they
probably wouldn’t have a clue.”

“Our public generally don’t generally
need any help to operate them. The
people who come in and want to
work on a PC know what they’re
doing and, in fact, most of them have
been using our machines for years.”

“…most of the people who use
our computing facilities are
people who will not have
computing equipment at home.”

Library offers beginners and “improver” IT classes.

Classes held in the library by skilled volunteers.

No charges for the classes.

No charges for the classes.
Wifi installed and plans for a computer suite.

Clear digital divide between the two communities.

One investing in IT infrastructure, one cannot.

Neither provide skilled support for IT.

Neither provide skilled support for IT.
Potential for disparity to grow due to financial arrangements.

Four levels of digital divide
1. Communities with no public library.
2. Communities with libraries akin to the urban library.
3. Communities with libraries akin to the rural library.
4. Communities with libraries professionally run, and
delivered by trained and remunerated members of
staff.

BUT FEAR NOT!
A new saviour has
ridden into town...

Boris Bike | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/wurz/5001929982/
Author: Paul de Gregorio https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

ian clark
t: @ijclark
e: ijclark@infoism.co.uk
w: ijclark.com
Blue Flow | Flickr - Photo Sharing! : taken from - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisholzberg/6622878345/
Author: Dennis Holzberg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

KPMG - Payment for Success – How to shift power from Whitehall to public service customers
kpmg.com/Ca/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Payment%20For%20Success.pdf
David Cameron’s speech on the Big Society: gov.uk/government/speeches/pms-speech-on-big-society
Public Library Stats: bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-33475594
(see Public Libraries News for the latest updates - publiclibrariesnews.com)
Internet access stats
ONS Internet Access – Households and Individuals 2015
ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---households-and-individuals/2015/stb-ia-2015.html#tab-Household-
internet-Access
Online skills: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/whatwedo/learning/audienceresearch/basic-
online-skills-nov-2014.pdf
The People’s Network: http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/er_eval_peoples_network_evaluation_summary_uk.pdf

Community libraries and the digital divide

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