Open access and the digital divide: Challenges and opportunities for libraries in the ICT era
Abstract
Open access (OA) and the digital divide pose opportunities as well as challenges for libraries in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) age. By removing financial barriers, open access programs seek to democratize access to scholarly knowledge; yet, the digital divide is nonetheless made worse by differences in internet accessibility and digital skills, especially in underprivileged places. In order to better understand how libraries might serve as intermediaries in closing the digital gap, this review looks at how open access affects library services. The financial viability of open access models, disparities in user digital literacy, and unequal access to technology are some of the main obstacles. On the other hand, opportunities present themselves as libraries make use of their resources to offer assistance, training, and digital content access, creating a welcoming atmosphere for information exchange. Libraries can significantly contribute to improving information fairness and empowering underserved communities by supporting open access. The analysis ends with suggestions for how libraries may advance open access projects and bridge the digital divide by forming strategic alliances and putting creative outreach programs into place.
Copyright (c) 2024 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright on any open access article in a journal published by PiscoMed Publishing is retained by the author(s).
Authors grant PiscoMed Publishing a license to publish, copy, distribute, and convey the article.
The current adopted license, the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), formalizes these and other terms and conditions of publishing articles. The license (CC BY 4.0) means:
Share: Everyone can copy and redistribute the open-access content in the journal.
Adapt: Materials in the articles can be remixed, reused, and reanalyzed for any purpose.
Attribution: You must cite the source with the correct license if some changes to the materials are made, but that does not mean that the licensor endorses you or your use.
Authors should ensure that the content of the article is not involved in a copyright dispute before submitting it. For previously published articles, authors should obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material is under a more restrictive license.
References
Piwowar H, Priem J, Larivière V, et al. The state of OA: A large-scale analysis of the prevalence and impact of Open Access articles. PeerJ. 2018; 6: e4375. doi: 10.7717/peerj.4375
Pinfield S, Wakeling S, Bawden D, Robinson L. Introduction. Open Access in Theory and Practice. 2020; 1–9. doi: 10.4324/9780429276842-0
Morrison H. From the field: Gold open access and article processing charges. The Serials Librarian. 2020; 79(1–2): 55–61.
Bosman J, Frantsvåg JE, Kramer B, et al. The APC paradox: Exploring the relationship between academic output and article processing charges in the open access market. Scientometrics. 2021; 126(3): 2111–2139.
Beaunoyer E, Dupéré S, Guitton MJ. COVID-19 and digital inequalities: Reciprocal impacts and mitigation strategies. Computers in Human Behavior. 2020; 111: 106424. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106424
Beaunoyer E, Dupéré S, Guitton MJ. Digital divide during COVID-19: How the pandemic exacerbated the divide. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology. 2020; 37(4): 301–315.
Pew Research Center. The digital divide persists even as lower-income Americans make gains in tech adoption, 2023. Available online: https://www.pewresearch.org (accessed on 26 October 2024).
Federal Communications Commission. 2020 broadband deployment report. Available online: https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/reports/broadband-deployment-report-2020 (accessed on 17 September 2024).
National Telecommunications and Information Administration. NTIA internet use survey. U.S. Department of Commerce. Available online: Available online: https://www.ntia.gov (accessed on 26 October 2024).
Broadband Now. The state of broadband in America during COVID-19, 2021. Available online: https://broadbandnow.comc.
Gonzalez C, Schmitz H. Digital divide and remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Indicators Research. 2021; 156(1): 1–22.
Harnad S, Brody T, Vallières F, et al. The access/impact problem and the green and gold roads to open access. Serials Review. 2004; 30(4): 310–314. doi: 10.1080/00987913.2004.10764930
Björk BC, Roos A, Lauri M. The hybrid model for open access publishing: A study of the publication patterns of hybrid journals and their authors. Journal of Information Science. 2016; 42(1): 59–70.
Gargouri Y, Hajjem C, Larivière V, et al. Self-Selected or Mandated, Open Access Increases Citation Impact for Higher Quality Research. PLoS ONE. 2010; 5(10): e13636. https://doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0013636
Kawure JH, Umar NY, Ahmed AA. Building information technological capacity and strategic management in academia. In: Kayyali M (editor). Building organizational capacity and strategic management in academia. IGI Global; 2024. pp. 67–102.
European Commission. Research and innovation, 2021. Available online: https://ec.europa.eu/research/openscience/index.cfm (accessed on 17 September 2024).
OAlition S. Plan S: Making full and immediate open access a reality, 2021. Available online: https://www.coalition-s.org/ (accessed on 17 September 2024).
Ahmed E. Student performance prediction using machine learning algorithms. Applied Computational Intelligence and Soft Computing. 2024; 2024(1): 1–15. doi: 10.1155/2024/4067721
Pew Research Center. Internet/broadband fact sheet, 2021. Available online: https://www.pewresearch.org (accessed on 26 October 2024).
Hilbert M. The end justifies the definition: The manifold outlooks on the digital divide and their practical usefulness for policy-making. Telecommunications Policy. 2011; 35(8): 715–736. doi: 10.1016/j.telpol.2011.06.012
International Telecommunication Union, 2020. Measuring digital development: Facts and figures 2024. Available online: https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/facts/default.aspx (accessed on 12 November 2024).
Helsper EJ, Reisdorf BC. The emergence of a “digital underclass” in Great Britain and Sweden: Changing reasons for digital exclusion. New Media & Society. 2017; 19(8): 1253–1270. doi: 10.1177/1461444816634676
Robinson L, Cotten SR, Ono H, et al. Digital inequalities and why they matter. Information, Communication & Society. 2020; 23(5): 636–653.
Norris P. Digital divide: Civic engagement, information poverty, and the Internet worldwide. Cambridge University Press; 2001.
Institute of Museum and Library Services. 2021 public library survey. Available online: https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/data-collection/public-libraries-survey (accessed on 12 November 2024).
Bennett L. Access to technology in public libraries: A challenge and opportunity. Library Trends. 2021; 69(4): 591–605.
Kirk D, Forcier E. Libraries and community partnerships: Strategies for improving access to technology. Public Library Quarterly. 2020; 39(1): 45–65.
Helsper EJ, Eynon R. Digital literacy through the lens of agency: A conceptual framework. Journal of Information Science. 2013; 39(2): 204–216.
Harris J. Building digital literacy: A framework for academic libraries. College & Research Libraries. 2021; 82(3): 399–414.
SPARC. Challenges in sustaining access to subscription-based resources. Available online: https://sparcopen.org/ (accessed on 12 November 2024).
McCabe MJ, Snyder C. The role of libraries in the open access movement. Library Management. 2014; 35(6/7): 475–487.
Hilton J. Open educational resources and student success: An exploratory study. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. 2016; 17(6): 22–40.
Los Angeles Public Library. Tech Center initiatives. Available online: https://www.lapl.org/ (accessed on 12 November 2024).
University of California. Open access publishing initiatives. Available online: https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/ (accessed on 12 November 2024).
University of Cape Town. Available online: OpenUCT open access repository. https://www.uct.ac.za/ (accessed on 12 November 2024).
