The intersection of broadband internet access and community libraries as “anchor institutions” was the focus of the latest installment of IREX’s Technology Serving Civil Society Speakers Series [7], held on January 12, 2010 at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Representatives from IREX and the World Bank moderated a discussion on “The Wired Library: The role of public libraries in expanding broadband access through communities.” Panelists included Doyle Gallegos from the World Bank Global ICT Department, Siri Oswald of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation representing the Global Libraries program, Director of the IREX-implemented Global Libraries program Biblionet in Romania Paul-Andre Baran, and John Windhausen of the Fiber to the Library Initiative.
Speakers addressed the opportunities and challenges of connecting libraries around the world with broadband, comparing and contrasting efforts in the US with initiatives around the world to identify common themes and successful approaches to integrating support from governments and the private sector with local efforts of librarians and their communities. To open the discussion, the panel emphasized that libraries are natural partners in broadband access—as traditional hubs of information and centers of community life. Libraries are trusted public institutions (“anchor institutions”) where users are already comfortable asking for help; therefore they possess the critical element in any new technology—the human element—in skilled librarians who are sensitive to user needs. Finally, broadband internet access in multipurpose institutions like libraries can serve a variety of users and user demands, from the elderly to low income populations that could not otherwise afford access; from communicating with relatives online to finding a job.
The panel then addressed the role of government in supporting broadband access and partnering with libraries. Although large inequalities in broadband access exist between developed/developing countries, the gap is closing—especially in regions like Latin America. Getting more governments on board requires framing broadband internet as demand-driven: because citizens need access to information in areas education, health care, and jobs, governments must respond to this demand. Any package of e-government services, which states around the world are exploring to increase efficiency and decrease costs, can only really operate through broadband internet capacity. Public libraries and public schools represent natural forums for government investment in broadband access, and are often the best vehicles for reaching underserved and at-risk populations. Speakers also advised against using concepts such as a “knowledge-based” economy, as they are abstract and less tangible for government officials than the links between simple information services citizens will use on a daily basis and their “ripple effects” in social and economic development.
By combining lessons learned from the US experience in extending broadband access to libraries and rural communities with ongoing broadband investment in the developing world, the panel identified key areas of public-private partnership, the importance of libraries and librarians as access points and advocates for internet access, and the challenges and benefits of supporting the creation of local Web content.
