TPRC 2024: The 52nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Inter

Link to Paper

Abstract:
Public libraries play a critical role in addressing the digital divide and advancing digital equity in their communities. However, little is known about their participation in local and statewide coalitions to advance digital equity as a public good. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance has defined a coalition as a collective organization of organizations operating in the public realm that function within a collaborative structure. The American Library Association defines a public good as one of the core values of librarianship focused on working to improve society and protect the rights to education, literacy, and intellectual freedom. While existing research has highlighted the important role that libraries play in coalitions, few studies have identified the ways in which public libraries participate in coalitions to advance digital equity as a public good in the U.S. context.

This research sought to address a gap in the literature on public libraries, coalitions, and digital equity, through the following research question: What role(s) do public libraries play in coalitions working to advance digital equity? Participants in this study were recruited to complete an online survey, which was open for a period of two months between February and March in 2024. A total of 28 survey responses were collected during this approximately one-month time period. In analyzing the data, I used descriptive statistics to present key characteristics of the data collected focusing primarily on those survey respondents that identified as working for a public library currently involved with a local, regional, or statewide digital equity coalition. These criteria resulted in a final list of 16 out of 28 total libraries included in the analysis.

The findings from my analysis of the survey data revealed that many public libraries in the U.S. support the public good in three primary ways. This includes: (1) convening and leading digital equity coalitions; (2) participating in coalition action planning and advocacy to advance digital equity; and (3) actively centering equity, as opposed to equality, in their efforts to create and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems. In addition, public libraries described themselves, in the open-ended survey responses, as key digital literacy partners in digital equity community and statewide coalitions.

This research is novel and relevant to contemporary communications policy particularly in the context of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Digital Equity Grant programs that were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. As part of this federal initiative, NTIA is currently overseeing $2.75 billion to advance digital equity over the next five years. The agency has also recognized that coalitions will play an important role in the success of this federal initiative. The findings from this study can help to inform state broadband and digital equity offices that will be implementing this funding, particularly regarding seeing public libraries as key partners in coalitions to support this national digital equity initiative.