USE OF INTERNET FACILITY BY THE USERS OF DISTRICT CENTRAL LIBRARIES IN RAYALASEEMA REGION OF A.P., INDIA- A STUDY.

Abraham Lincoln’s proverbial remark concerning the definition and meaning of democracy, is equally applicable in the context of public library-it is an institution ‘for the people, by the people and of the people. The District Central Libraries are an important component of the public library system in Andhra Pradesh (A.P). Being located in the district headquarters they stand as models to be emulated by other public libraries in the districts. In this era of information technology, people are quick to gather information using the internet. Therefore, there is a need to study the internet facilities of the District Central Libraries in Rayalaseema Region of Andhra Pradesh state. Because of the importance of the subject matter, the article is titled as, “Use of Internet facility by the users of District Central Libraries in Rayalaseema Region of A.P.,India-A Study.” The target group of this study includes library users of the central libraries in the 4 districts in Rayalaseema Region of A.P. The respondents selected as samples suggested that many aspects of the library environment are changing due to the improved technology. Data were collected by using questionnaire from 4 District Central Libraries in Rayalaseema Region of A.P. A structured questionnaire was distributed among 612 users, of whom 525 (85.78%) responded. Based on the analysis of the data collected through a structured questionnaire, inferences have been mad

Public Libraries: enacting “public spaces” for community development and lifelong learning

Public libraries in Hamilton provide countless services to different users, particularly older immigrants. The library system proves to be an inclusive learning space, promoting lifelong learning for all. The paper explores the relationship between public library use, lifelong learning and community development. In addition, it demonstrates the function of the library in the provision of equal and universal access to information and learning. This paper focuses on a qualitative interview materials. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 participants (13 females and 12 males) in six public libraries in Hamilton, Ontario. In addition, we interviewed six library staff in the six public libraries (three in the lower Hamilton and three in the suburban Mountain) and conducted observations of the day-to-day practices in the six public libraries. Purposive sampling was used to ensure diversity in library use. Using the grounded theory (GT) method, interviews were transcribed, coded, categorised, and analysed using NVivo 10. The interviews explored the viewpoints of participants accessing public libraries in Hamilton. The findings reveal that public libraries are sources of educational, informational, and well-being – providing lifelong learning through library activities and programmes. Specifically, the acquisition of new skills and new friendship through the library space is a vibrant resource for developing the adult learner’s capacity for social development in the community and the world at large. The study would be one of a kind to deploy library users’ narrations for interrogating public library spaces as a tool for understanding spaces of lifelong learning in Ontario, Canada. It highlights the many ways in which social relationships through library use shape perception, attitude and learning.  Different users of public libraries attain a sense of accomplishment for different reasons. This paper, therefore, calls for a policy approach in which the diverse experiences of public libraries are more widely recognized and nurtured

The Inconsistent Work of Web Filters: Mapping Information Access in Alabama Public Schools and Libraries

Recent popular and academic discussions regarding the Internet have raised the question of whether and how networked intermediaries have a (dis)integrating social effects. In this study, we use public records of configurations of Internet filters in Alabama public schools and libraries to show how different institutions implement nominally consistent content standards inconsistently. We argue that these varying implementations are both significant and troubling for two reasons: first, they overreach the stated goals of the legislation with whic h they in principle comply; second, they may contribute to a broader epis temic breakdown by fragmenting the kind of information made available through and across public institutions. Keywords: Internet filtering, filter bubble, censorship, critical infrastructure studies, algorithms, categories, CIPA, libraries, schools, Leigh Sta

Internet access among the most income deprived: the case of Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and since 2009 it has seen stagnating levels of fixed broadband uptake (Ofcom, 2013). As recently as August 2013, Ofcom reported that fixed broadband uptake in Glasgow remained at 50%; this is significantly below the Scottish average of 68% (Ofcom, 2013). As the ‘Digital by Default’ agenda of the United Kingdom government, which places government services online, becomes ever more pervasive this becomes a more pressing issue for the city. That needs to find ways to increase broadband adoption. There is also a need to uncover the deep seated reasons why there has been no improvement in fixed broadband uptake in the last five years in Glasgow. Internet access is lowest amongst the most deprived in society and those with the lowest incomes (SHS, 2012). Analysis based on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation highlights that ‘income deprivation in Glasgow City is greater than in Scotland as a whole’- 21.5% of Glasgow’s population were income deprived in 2012 (Scottish Government, 2012a, p3). This paper focuses on the deprived areas of Glasgow and whether and how the most disadvantaged in the city use the Internet. The analysis draws on data from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and from individuals in deprived areas. This paper will investigate those who do and do not have access to the Internet to answer the following questions: In areas of deprivation what differentiates those who do and do not have access to the Internet? Do demographic or geographic factors have greater influence in determining whether a person has access to the Internet at home? What factors, other than demographics, influence the adoption of the Internet in areas of deprivation? The attitude of individuals towards the Internet rather than demographic factors has been highlighted as an important factor in Glasgow (White, 2013). This paper takes this analysis a step further by targeting the most disadvantaged to ascertain whether neighbourhood effects or attitudes to technology are the most important. This will enable a greater understanding of how to engage those who do not use the Internet. It will also provide insight into the development of policy initiatives in Glasgow to address this particular issue. Since geography plays an influential role in shaping public policy through, for instance, local politics, this paper will initially map the available demographic and economic data. Previous work in Glasgow on public Internet access in areas of deprivation highlighted specific areas of the city with low broadband uptake and high levels of deprivation (Anderson and Whalley, 2013). Although this paper continues in the same vain, it instead focuses on home Internet uptake in similarly deprived areas. This was accomplished by questioning people seeking benefits assistance at Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) across the city. CAB provides impartial advice to those who visit their offices. Each CAB is separately run, with its own funding from Glasgow City Council or other sources. They operate independently, almost like a franchise model. Due to 2 how they are funded, CABs are only meant to serve their immediate local community. Thus, where the CAB is positioned will have a huge effect on who visits. Targeting CAB provides valuable and insightful data from the most vulnerable and marginalised members of society. Those affected by the ‘Digital by Default’ program are the most likely to need to apply for benefits online and provide evidence of job searching to be entitled to benefits. There are several components to the methodology adopted. Firstly, the responses of 950 individuals from eight CABs across the city were analysed to identify differences between those who do and do not have the Internet. This was combined with SIMD data using postcode information. Geographic analysis was also conducted on this data to identify differences between some of the most deprived communities in Glasgow. Secondly, a more detailed data collection on specific identified areas of the city concentrated on collecting information other than that related to the demographic barriers to Internet participation. This provided a further insight into the other barriers to adoption in areas of deprivation. This paper provides valuable insight into the use and non-use of the Internet by the most disadvantaged in Glasgow. It is expected that the first question around the differences of who does and does not have the Internet will be answered by separating the data into groups of five per cent based on their SIMD income rank. This highlights a switching point which was then used as a reference for comparing multiple factors in the dataset. Moreover, this approach highlights that some income groups did not conform to the general pattern. Indeed it could be expected, based on the literature, that higher income would mean that they are more likely to use the Internet and have devices that they can connect to the Internet (Ofcom, 2013, p279). This pattern is not consistent with the analysis of Internet use, where the relationship is non-linear and some groups have higher or lower usage than expected. This highlights that income alone is not a determinant of whether an individual uses the Internet. It also shows that there are variations in use of the Internet and ownership of devices in areas of deprivation that require further investigation. The second and third research questions focus on specific communities within the city. Communities provide different opportunities and barriers to Internet use, even within deprived areas. The geographic analysis of these areas of the city highlights the importance of place, the effects of geography on Internet use and the drivers and barriers specific to each community. This paper provides further insight into Internet use in areas of deprivation that could be of use to similar cities. There are multiple organisations which could assist in addressing the diverse needs of communities in increasing Internet access. However, they will need to work together and be responsive to the diverse needs of these communities. The evidence also provides direction for Glasgow City Council on ways to engage the disconnected, move forward with their Digital Strategy and close the Digital chasm that exists in the city

Censorship and Surveillance in the Digital Age:The Technological Challenges for Academics

The “Snowden leaks” and censorship methods used during the Arab Spring have brought warranted attention to technologically supported censorship and surveillance (Bauman et al. 2014; Deibert and Crete-Nishihata 2012, 344). The public is now aware how digital tools and information are prone to tracing, interception, and suppression. Processes of eavesdropping and information collection (i.e., surveillance) are often interrelated with processes of removal, displacement, and restriction of material or speech (i.e., censorship). Both are often enshrouded in secrecy, leaving censorship and surveillance techniques open to abuses (Setty 2015). Digital censorship and surveillance may also constitute a threat to academic freedom. Technologically supported censorship and surveillance impinge upon scholars’ ability to conduct unobstructed inquiry. The increasing reliance on the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) to collect data or distribute findings has only exacerbated this threat. Digital tools and data allow for: (1) the easier confiscation or destruction of research (Cyranoski 2008, 871; Gellman 2015); (2) the manipulation of information; or (3) the control and prevention of access to information (Fishman 2010). Digital surveillance creates a securitized climate and leads to chilling effects. The field of security studies is certainly not immune to these effects. We aim to systematically explore the methods of digital censorship and surveillance, as well as techniques to resist them. The article is split into three parts. The first section discusses why academia—and especially security studies scholars—should engage in debates on technological information control. The second section outlines how the digital tools used by academics can be subject to censorship, and how this affects the profession. The final section examines what to do against digital censorship and surveillance, and explores whether cryptographic circumvention methods should be included within academic teaching and scholarship. As part of this discussion, we hope to foster a debate about the legal and technical protections for researchers, and engender a critical reflection about digital security

Managing access to the internet in public libraries [MAIPLE]

Managing access to the internet in public libraries [MAIPLE

A situational analysis of national information policy, with special reference to South Africa

This thesis reviews trends and developments concerning national information policy both internationally and nationally and inform the understanding of the situation in South Africa. Three research questions are investigated in this study, namely: (a) what are the main trends relevant to national information policy development worldwide, based on relevant literature, (b) what are the main trends and developments in other countries, and (c) what are the implications of the current global and national developments regarding national information policy for South Africa, based on the findings of the study? The methodology for this study involved a qualitative textual analysis, addressing these three research questions, and the selection of theoretical frameworks to define the scope of the research. The study discussed the main aspects of concern regarding the following information-related issues: access to information; access to government information; literacy levels; computer literacy levels; levels of education and skills; information society development; the North-South Divide (including the digital divide); information content and industrial competitiveness; other issues such as e-commerce; telecommunication issues; copyright issues; industrial property rights; freedom of speech; censorship; information ownership; library services and archives; the value of information and the flow of information in the public domain in South Africa. The multiplicity of issues reviewed demonstrated the complexity regarding access to information and related issues in the country. The study concludes with a situational analysis of developments relevant to national information policy for South Africa. The findings indicate that the South African government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime. The Government needs to develop a national information policy to address and balance two realities, namely: (a) the technocratic and capitalist values of globalisation pushing global information policy development from outside the country, and (b) national economic, social and cultural developmental needs inside the country. Both these realities are relevant and need to be addressed in a national information policy, as the Government needs to take into account the unevenness of past developments and the challenges created by the emergent global information policy regime.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science