Abstract
As smart technologies become more integrated with daily life, vital digital literacy skills are necessary for citizens to engage with and benefit from their cities, local government, and economy. Libraries play an important role in mitigating the growing wealth gap in our communities, especially as it relates to opportunities provided by emerging technologies. With the call for smart city proposals in Toronto, Ontario, what role will the city's LAMs have in collaborating with these future developments? The Toronto Public Library (TPL), a trusted public institution, has a stake in implementing various frameworks and collaborating with government agencies in addressing public concerns around technologies that collect personal information for various purposes and ensuring that vulnerable populations are not left behind. Following an examination of the role libraries play in mitigating consequences of the digital divide, this chapter will discuss the various ways in which TPL and similar community libraries have been involved with digital literacy and inclusion. It will also explore how TPL has been identified by government agencies as a vehicle for civic engagement and oversight in the former Sidewalk Toronto smart city plan.
TopIntroduction
In today’s world, adequate access to resources that build and enable digital literacy and inclusion are necessary for individuals to fully participate in and benefit from their communities. North American cities are increasingly implementing smart technologies to stimulate the economy by creating new business opportunities and industries, improving the delivery of goods and services, promoting innovation, and enhancing the lives of their citizens. An increase of knowledge societies – those building on technological innovation and the sharing of knowledge to better improve the lives of its citizens – has resulted in a greater flow of information. Digital literacy skills and inclusion are vital for citizens to have equal opportunities and to benefit from their governing bodies and community innovations. Additionally, an increasing gap between civic engagement and economic status continues to create inequity in representation and the decisions made by elected officials for communities and their citizens. Libraries are trusted public institutions and make a natural ally for community-led organizations. Outreach efforts in collaboration with partner organizations help to strengthen awareness around programs and services offered by both the library and community-led initiatives and can encourage civic engagement. These programs and services can ease the transition toward newer technologies for citizens experiencing precarious housing, unreliable internet services, fewer educational opportunities, low income, or limited digital literacy skills. By ensuring that these citizens have vital access and learning opportunities, libraries are an ideal center for promoting and implementing digital literacy initiatives and partnerships with municipal services to optimize the benefits of technological advancements. As cities increasingly implement smart technologies, sufficient access to information for all citizens is even more critical. By facilitating access to these smart technologies and building digital literacy, libraries fulfill a critical role in sharing knowledge, educating citizens of all economic levels, and increasing civic engagement for more equitable cities.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Smart Technologies: Refers to technologies that use big data analysis and, in some cases artificial intelligence, to allow for even the smallest objects to have the capacity to connect and interact ( Gul & Bano, 2019 ).
Digital Literacy: The American Library Association’s (ALA) task force on Digital Literacy defines it as the ability to effectively utilize information and communication technologies to “find, understand, evaluate, create and communicate” information ( ALA, 2013 ). In the context of this chapter, digital literacy is a key skill required to fully participate in technologically advanced communities.
Digital Economy: The digital economy is a term that evolved in the 1990s when a focus on the impact of the Internet on the economy was emerging ( Armstrong, 2020 ). In this chapter, the term is used to capture the present-day inevitable impact of new technologies on the economy and how they have altered how goods and services are marketed and obtained.
Information Age: Our modern age in which information is transmitted quickly and disseminated widely due to increasing access to technology.
Civic and Community Engagement: The use of both civic engagement and community engagement in this chapter includes activities such as volunteering, voting, and participating in and engaging with activities that strengthen the community ( Urban Libraries Council, 2017 ).
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs): ICTs in this chapter broadly covers technologies that store, retrieve, transmit, and process information, such as computing systems, software and hardware, networks (i.e., the internet), mobile phones, etc.
Digital Divide: In this chapter, the digital divide encompasses the lack of equal access to reliable internet connections from devices such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (2016) notes that affordability creates a gap in citizens with personal access to the Internet. In other cases, a lack of widespread broadband infrastructure in remote or rural areas leaves a portion of the population without access to the Internet on par with their urban counterparts.
Knowledge Society: A society, born out of technological advancements, in which knowledge is a pillar, and individual growth and participation in the generation of knowledge are supported and advanced.