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Article Abstract

International Journal of Trends in Emerging Research and Development, 2025;3(1):172-175

To determine the different needs that public libraries, have in order to close the digital divide

Author : Manvi and Dr. Dharam Vir Singh

Abstract

In the linked world of today, having internet connectivity has an impact on everything from job searching to health care to high-quality education. Regrettably, there is a disparity in access to this type of information, known as the "digital divide," which is more common in some areas and among members of specific groups, such as low-income and minority groups. The classic definition of the term "digital divide" is "the gap between those with and those without internet access." Such access is impacted by a person's possession of the necessary technology to connect to the internet, their capacity to obtain an internet connection, or a combination of the two. Under these circumstances, public libraries' function has changed from valuing the print works in their collections to assisting citizens into the digital world and building onramps into it. The digital divide, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, is a phenomenon that arises from unequal access to and use of information and communication technologies, creating a knowledge gap between information "haves" and have-nots worldwide. In societies where computer proficiency opens the doors to economic success and personal advancement, entry to good careers and educational opportunities, full access to social networks, and opportunities for civic engagement, this dichotomy threatens to create an underclass of inform poor people who run the risk of further marginalization. In order to guarantee advantages in the digital age, public libraries provide three crucial components. Access, content, and infrastructure. People who do not have access to the internet and the World Wide Web through the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming more and more disadvantaged in terms of their ability to obtain information in the digital era.

Keywords

Information, Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization, Marginalization