Public Libraries and the Digital Divide：Patrons'' Using Behavior of Public Access Computing in Taichung City and County Rural Libraries

• Main Authors: Hui-Ting Chou, 周惠婷
• Other Authors: Shiao-Feng Su
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/10012333087271490529

碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 圖書資訊學研究所 === 97 === Even though in the 21st centuries, the advanced information technology and the internet have been available with each passing day, there still has been existing the digital divide around the world. Despites the most public libraries maintaining public access computing service, but still the rural libraries are fragile; that is, these rural and small town libraries are the most disadvantages with respect to being able to sustain the public access computing. It seems that quite often the isolated, rural libraries still have to face and struggle with the continued challenges: the lack of funding and resources. The study includes the three rural libraries in Taichung County. And then in order to proclaim the digital divide on these rural libraries and their patrons, it also subsumes the Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau as a comparison. The study employed questionnaire survey and interview methods. Heping, Shinshou, Tungshih libraries of Taichung County and Taichung City Cultural Affairs Bureau administrative areas were included. The researcher administrated two kinds of survey questionnaires: one for the librarians and the other for library patrons. Survey questionnaires were administrated from September to December, 2008. A total of 4 copies of librarians’and 381 copies of library patrons’ questionnaires were distributed. The return rate of librarians’ questionnaire was 100%. 348 copies of library patrons’ questionnaire were returned valid, with a net return rate 91.3%. Service Solutions (SPSS) using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, Goodman & Kruskal’s Gamma and factorial analysis of variance. Moreover, the study had interviewed the 4 librarians and 24 patrons to understand the library computer use and their opinions about the public access computing service. The conclusions of this study are as following: 1. The service of public access computing in the rural, small town libraries is facing the digital divide.; 2. The patrons in the rural, small town libraries are facing the digital divide.; 3. The utilizing of library computers are disproportionately low.; 4. The librarians and the patrons in the rural, small town libraries are critical at risk with the lack of computer skills and Internet access trainin.g; 5.Public access computing services in the rural, small town libraries can’t meet the need of disadvantaged groups.; 6. The rural, small town libraries can’t be of great assistance in bridging the digital divide. This study puts forward suggestions to combine the governmental departments, the rural and small town libraries, Digital divide Centers, and the volunteers to sustain the computer skills and internet access training of the disadvantaged groups. Finally, the study also put further suggestions to expand the study about the impact of digital divide on the public access computing service and the disadvantaged patrons, then as a result to improve the public access computing service in the rural and small town libraries.