Digital Divide: Issues and Strategies for Intervention in Nigerian Libraries
Digital Divide: Issues and Strategies for Intervention in Nigerian Libraries
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数字鸿沟：尼日利亚图书馆干预的问题和策略
DOI：
10.4018/jcit.2016070103
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发表时间：
2016
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Nwanne Nwokocha
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
J. Idiegbeyan;Christopher Nkiko;M. Idahosa;Nwanne Nwokocha
本文讨论了尼日利亚图书馆的数字鸿沟、问题和干预策略。它将数字鸿沟定义为国家之间、国家内部、个人、家庭等在获取和使用信息技术设施（如互联网、计算机、笔记本电脑、各种手持设备、应用软件等）方面存在的差距。本文还讨论了数字鸿沟的原因，包括金融、教育水平、个人所在地和语言，并讨论了数字鸿沟对信息获取不平等的影响；对用户服务不力，图书馆不能满足读者的需求。该文件进一步讨论了尼日利亚图书馆采用和使用信息通信技术设施的现状，并与发达国家的同类图书馆进行了比较。文章指出，大多数尼日利亚图书馆离完全自动化和互联网连接还很远；工作人员缺乏建立和维护信息通信技术以加强服务提供的技术技能；这些发展中国家农村地区的图书馆更容易被忽视，因为城市地区大多有可用的信息和通信技术设施和互联网连接，因此，那些离开农村地区的人与信息和通信技术的众多好处隔绝了。本文的结论是：数字鸿沟是影响信息可得性和可及性的威胁；国家间与国家内部的成长与发展，导致资讯及通讯科技设施在获取与使用上的不平等，奈及利亚图书馆应意识到自己的责任，提供必要的基础设施，以缩小差距，防止数位落差扩大。论文最后建议制定和实施信息通信技术政策，有关方面为图书馆提供足够的资金，教育和培训人力资源以建设和维护信息通信技术设施，图书馆学校创新课程以灌输信息通信技术课程以获得专业人员的技能，改善维护文化并消除整个系统中的腐败现象，使发展中国家能够利用信息通信技术设施。不断进步，与现代化和全球化同步前进。
This paper discussed digital divide, issues and strategies for intervention in Nigerian libraries. It defined digital divide as the gap that exist between countries, within countries, individuals, families and so on in their access and usage of Information Technology facilities such as the internet, computers, laptops, various handheld devices, application software etc. The paper also discussed the causes of digital divide comprising finance, level of education, location of the individual and language as well as discussing the effects of digital divide to encompass inequality in access to information; ineffective services to users, libraries being unable to satisfy their clientele. The paper went further to discuss the present state of ICT facilities adoption and use by Libraries in Nigeria, compared to their equals in developed countries. The paper pointed out that most Nigerian libraries are far from full automation and Internet connectivity; the staff lack technical skills to build and maintain ICT for enhanced service delivery; libraries in rural areas of these developing countries are more neglected as available ICT facilities and internet connections are mostly available and accessible in the urban areas thus, those leaving in the rural areas are cut off from the numerous benefits of ICT. The paper concluded that Digital divide is a menace that affects information availability and access; growth and development in between countries and within countries and has led to inequality in access and use of ICT facilities as such, Nigerian libraries should wake up to their responsibilities by providing the required infrastructure needed to bridge the gap to prevent the escalation of digital divide. The paper finally recommended the formulation and implementation of ICT policy, adequate funding of libraries by those concerned, education and training of human resources to build and maintain ICT facilities, curriculum innovation by library schools so as to inculcate ICT courses for skills acquisitions of the professionals, improvement of maintenance culture and eradication of corruption in the entire system to enable developing countries take advantage of ICT facilities, make progress and move along with modernity and global sophistication.