ACC Library Services: Library Services in a Digital-First Academic Environment: Digital Literacy

This article positions equitable access to information as a matter of social justice and questions how the library and information science sector might work more intentionally and systemically to close the pervasive information retrieval and navigation gaps that disproportionately disenfranchize lower-income and/or majority Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

The article discusses the leadership role played by U.S. libraries in implementing and providing digital literacy services. Also cited are the benefits of digital technologies like quick access to ebooks, bank accounts, medical records and digital art collections, as well as how the need for digital literacy, equity and inclusion was revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article explores the experiences of older adults attending digital literacy training sessions offered by the public library system in one city in Ontario. Semi-structured interviews with 12 older adults (age 60+) demonstrated the significance of societal and internalized ageism in shaping the experiences of participants, as well as the construction of the training as a "safe space" for experimentation.

For higher education students, developing digital literacy enhances their value to future employers and appeal in the graduate labour market.

The article examines that students need to build digital literacy skills to navigate the online world, and many do not transfer academic skills to their personal lives. Topics include considered that digital literacy lessons are easily reproducible and can help students be better prepared and informed to live on the Internet.