A comparative study of public libraries’ contribution to digital inclusion in Korea and the United States

Abstract

This research was designed to measure the level of contribution public libraries in Korea have made to digital inclusion in their communities. To that end, the study compared the degree of contribution to digital inclusion by Korean libraries with that by US libraries. Specifically, the following domains of digital inclusion were assessed: (1) information technologies and infrastructures that can be utilized by the users, as well as (2) digital literacy campaigns and programs that promoted digital integration (helping people to use technologies and library programs and know about other resources and events provided by libraries). Public libraries in Korea were surveyed using a questionnaire developed by the Institute of Museum and Library Service in the United States – FY2011 Public Library Survey, revised for the Korean context. From a systems perspective, Korean public library computers and Internet infrastructure surpassed those of their counterparts in the United States in terms of quality but the diversity of technologies, equipment, and technology-related services and the proportion of technology-related services provided were higher in the United States. In terms of educational content, libraries in both countries informed the public about diverse subjects but US libraries offered more, and more diverse, services than Korean. Library staff were responsible for running programs in the United States, whereas these were provided through collaboration with external organizations in Korea.

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