Libraries, global pandemics and the digital divide dilemma

A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population Merriam Webster. The world is currently consumed in dealing with COVID 19, formerly  the Novel Corona Virus, a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The latest situation report by WHO indicates as of March 17 2020, over 179,000 confirmed cases, and  7,400 plus deaths have been recorded worldwide. Countries are urging citizens to desist from public gatherings; and schools, libraries and other public places are being closed to reduce the chance of the virus spreading. What exactly does this mean for libraries and librarians? Libraries are major sources of information for society and they serve as guardians of the public’s access to information. How can this be possible when they are closed?  Can they figure out ways to have continuity of experience to their users?

Libraries can provide innovative ways of keeping engaged with their clientele during this time. Some of these services include:

• Book amnesty for overdue book and fines during the period
• Access to a virtual librarian reference services
• Providing online tools for kids and parents (for homeschooling)
• Online class tutorials for students
• Resource listings for academic universities and institutions

For more information on how libraries are dealing with this pandemic you can check out the American Library Association.

So we see libraries and librarians can actually still do a lot, even though they are ‘closed’.

The other issue here is that libraries contribute to closing the digital divide for persons who don’t have access to computers and internet at home. Now that schools are closed, students would rely on the library to use the Wi-Fi and computers for research, and with this not possible, the divide is only exacerbated.  Ed Surge offers some tips on overcoming this; however the success would depend on the ICT capabilities of the respective countries and libraries.

In the meantime, Scholastic has come up with many day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking and growing that appeal to multiple intelligences.

I have compiled the following list of online resources that you can consult for information and research during this time :

1. Khan Academy- https://www.khanacademy.org/

This non-profit educational organization has a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. This is done through creating a set of online tools that help educate learners of all ages. Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. Subjects include math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more.

2. EbscoHost

EBSCOhost is an intuitive online research platform used by thousands of institutions and millions of users worldwide. With quality databases and search features, EBSCOhost helps researchers of all kinds find the information they need fast. Did I mention that these are all peer reviewed, reliable and, credible sources of information.

All registered members of the public library system, for example NALIS, can access this service through their website with a unique username and password. Similarly, many universities and colleges subscribe to this for the benefit of their faculty and students. Resources in EBSCOHost online databases include: e-books, audio books, periodicals, reports, reviews among others. Users also have multiple searching options and user preferences; including saving, printing, emailing, and exporting information.

3. Project Gutenberg- https://www.gutenberg.org/

With a collection of over 60,000 free e-books, readers can choose from among free e-pub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.

4. AllYouCanRead- allyoucanread.com

This website collects magazines and news sites from over 200 countries. A simple country search will direct you to the news and magazines about political, social, weather business, and sports.  You can also search by topic, and guess what,  I’ve found that it contains up to date and current information on local and regional news as well.

5. YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/

Reputed as being the second most visited social media site after Facebook, and most popular video sharing platform where users watch a billion hours of videos every day, Youtube-ers use this platform to share academic, business and recreational ideas. In fact, almost anything can be learnt from using it, including creating a blog.

So, as we go through this difficult period and try to battle this pandemic, it is of utmost importance that libraries continue to provide real time- information and updates on the issue, and provide remote learning resources to its publics worldwide.

Have fun homeschooling guys!!!