Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship

For my very first assignment, I have been asked to review a 2009 article called "Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship" by
Roxanne Missingham (2009) from Australian Library Journal, 58(4), 386-399.

The article stems from a presentation given by Missingham at the ALIA Public Libraries Summit in Canberra in July 2009 when she argues that libraries are helping Australians to become more digitally capable but that there are challenges to be faced. She also talks about the Electronic Resources Australia (ERA) – what it is, how it was established and why - and the importance of a secure, high speed broadband network across Australia.

Missingham sees the challenges for many Australian when wanting to participate in the digital environment as being ‘skills, access, accessibility and digital resources’.

Missingham uses statistics from he Australia's Digital Economy: Future Directions - Final Report to illustrate the challenges of access and accessibility. These statistics show that while Australia compares favourably with the UK and Canada in terms of household access to the internet, it lags behind when considering household and business broadband use. The statistics used in the report are from the 2007 ABS statistics. Recent 2008-09 ABS statistics show that broadband access in homes has increased (2009).

What the more recent statistics confirm however for Missingham’s argument is that people outside of metropolitan areas or in low income households still lack broadband access compared to other Australians.

Similarly 2010 OECD data shows the rate of Australian households with broadband access has improved (63.7%) but still has a way to catch countries like Norway and Sweden (both 82.6%) and Denmark (80.1%).

Missingham highlights the frustrations felt by people living in rural and regional areas in Australia by quoting case studies from the Senate Environment, Communications, Information technology and Arts Reference Committee’s 2003 inquiry into the role of the libraries in the online environment. The complaints of these people back Missingham’s four stated challenges.

Missingham goes to outline how in 2003 the Senate Committee mentioned above made a number of recommendations for the National Library of Australia (NLA) to be funded federally to identify key databases which national site licensing could be used for. In the following years, four National Licensing Proposal/National Site Licence Forums were organised by the NLA to help the library industry to work together. The ERA was launched. According to their website the ERA is ‘a consortia for Australian libraries for collaborative purchasing of electronic resources’.

Resources on the Internet can vary in quality, usefulness and accuracy. Quality resources can often have charges attached to them, such as subscribing to a journal. Missingham says ‘digital citizenship is a fundamental concept for modern democracies’ (2009, p392). She goes on to outline how libraries help Australians to access quality online information through such things as the ERA.

Missingham discusses why it is important for people to have access to information by looking at ABS statistics that show illiteracy is a significant issue in Australia. This illiteracy not only covers the basic ability to read and write but also cognitive document literacy which enable people to process and use information in meaningful way. Missingham argues that libraries are important factors in lifting literacy levels by providing information and digital literacy programs.

As mentioned, Missingham believes there are three barriers to Australians accessing digital information – connectivity, content and capacity.

Missingham sees that National Broadband Network as being saviour to issues of low access to and use of broadband. This argument is lacking somewhat and needs further discussion. As Don Perlgut (2011) argues, there is more to a low uptake of broadband than just access. He quotes American research figures that show 36% of Americans who haven’t connected to broadband have not done so because of cost while 22% say they lack digital literacy and 19% say broadband is not relevant to their lives. Missingham addresses the issue of literacy in her article but not cost and relevancy.

Missingham sees libraries have a major role in overcoming content and capability issues. While she sees libraries as having the capability to assist Australians learn how to use digital resources, she does not address any other issues preventing access other than remoteness and literacy. The issues of age, disability and poverty are not addressed at all.

The article is enthusiastic about the role libraries can play in the new digital age and the access to information that the NBN can bring, but Missingham fails to appreciate the range and variety of issues facing people when it comes to accessing information via computer.



Reference list

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2008-09, (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009)

Electronic Resources Australia website - http://era.nla.gov.au/

Missingham, R (2009), Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship, Australian Library Journal, 58(4), 386-399.

OECD Statistics sourced from http://www.oecd.org/document/39/0,3746,en_2649_201185_46462759_1_1_1_1,00.html)

Perlgut, D (2011), Digital Inclusion in the Broadband World: Challenges for Australia, Paper presented at the Communications Policy and Research Forum 2011. Accessed at Australian Policy Online (http://apo.org.au/research/digital-inclusion-broadband-world-challenges-australia) pp7-8