What More Can We Do to Address Broadband Inequity and Digital Poverty? | Information Technology and Libraries Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer Current Archives Announcements About About the Journal Editorial Team Submissions Contact Privacy Statement Search Search Register Login Home / Archives / Vol 39 No 3 (2020) / Editorials What More Can We Do to Address Broadband Inequity and Digital Poverty? Lori Bowen Ayre The Galecia Group DOI: https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12619 Abstract While libraries have always worked to help breach the digital divide by providing free Internet access, public access computers and teaching media literacy, the current pandemic has made it abundantly clear that much more needs to be done. This article proposes ways that libraries might work with community, state, national and even global partners to help promote universal broadband. References Cecilia Kang, “Parking Lots Have Become a Digital Lifeline,” The New York Times, May 20, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/05/technology/parking-lots-wifi-coronavirus.html. Erica Freudenberger, “Reopening Libraries: Public Libraries Keep Their Options Open,” Library Journal, June 25, 2020, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=reopening-libraries-public-libraries-keep-their-options-open. Gina Millsap, “This was in April. Q. We’re starting a new school year and what has changed? A. Not much. It’s past time to get serious about universal broadband in the U.S.” Facebook, August 16, 2020, 5:37 a.m., https://www.facebook.com/gina.millsap.7/posts/10218986781485855. Accessed September 14, 2020. James K. Willcox, “Libraries and Schools Are Bridging the Digital Divide During the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Consumer Reports, last modified April 29, 2020, https://www.consumerreports.org/technology-telecommunications/libraries-and-schools-ridging-the-digital-divide-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/. Jim Lynch, “The Gates Library Foundation Remembered: How Digital Inclusion Came to Libraries,” TechSoup, accessed August 24, 2020, https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/gates-library-foundation-remembered-how-digital-inclusion-came-to-libraries. Lara Fishbane and Adie Tomer, “Neighborhood Broadband Data Makes It Clear: We Need an Agenda to Fight Digital Poverty,” Brookings Institution, last modified February 6, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/02/05/neighborhood-broadband-data-makes-it-clear-we-need-an-agenda-to-fight-digital-poverty/. Lauren Kirchner, “Millions of American Depend on Libraries for Internet. Now They’re Closed,” The Markup, June 25, 2020, https://themarkup.org/coronavirus/2020/06/25/millions-of-americans-depend-on-libraries-for-internet-now-theyre-closed. “Libraries are Filling the Homework Gap as Students Head Back to School,” Broadband USA, last modified September 4, 2018, https://broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/ntia-blog/libraries-are-filling-homework-gap-students-head-back-school. “Libraries Respond: COVID-19 Survey,” American Library Association, accessed August 25, 2020, http://www.ilovelibraries.org/sites/default/files/MAY-2020-COVID-Survey-PDF-Summary-of-Results-web-2.pdf. “Newsom Issues Executive Order on Digital Divide,” CHEAC (Improving the Health of All Californians), last modified August 14, 2020, https://cheac.org/2020/08/14/newsom-issues-executive-order-on-digital-divide/. Rashawn Ray, “Five Things John Lewis Taught us About Getting in ‘Good Trouble,’” Brookings Institution, last modified July 23, 2020, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/07/23/five-things-john-lewis-taught-us-about-getting-in-good-trouble/. Ry Marcattilio-McCracken, “Electric Cooperatives Partners with Dominion Energy to Bring Broadband to Rural Virginia,” last modified August 6, 2020, https://muninetworks.org/content/electric-cooperatives-partner-dominion-energy-bring-broadband-rural-virginia. Sarah Chase Webber, “The Library’s Role in Bridging the Digital Divide”, Urban Libraries Council, last modified March 28, 2019, https://www.urbanlibraries.org/blog/the-librarys-role-in-bridging-the-digital-divide. Tyler Cooper, “Bezos and Musk’s Satellite Internet Could Save Americans $30B a Year,” Podium: Opinion, Advice, and Analysis by the TNW Community, last modified August 24, 2019, https://thenextweb.com/podium/2019/08/24/bezos-and-musks-satellite-internet-could-save-americans-30b-a-year/. PDF Published 2020-09-21 How to Cite Ayre, L. B. (2020). What More Can We Do to Address Broadband Inequity and Digital Poverty?. Information Technology and Libraries, 39(3). https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v39i3.12619 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Issue Vol 39 No 3 (2020) Section Editorials Copyright (c) 2020 Lori Bowen Ayre This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Open Journal Systems Information For Readers For Authors For Librarians Current Issue