Libraries, telecentres and cybercafés

Gómez, Ricardo; Ambikar, Rucha; Coward, Chris

doi:10.1108/14678040910949675

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Another implication for developing countries has to do with trying to explain the reasons behind the failure of one of the most common initiatives policy-makers and private organizations have developed in order to foster ICT adoption and use in developing countries, the telecenters or information kiosks (Gomez et al 2009). These telecenters and information kiosks should enable "poor people to receive information about their governments, market prices, health and education" (Ashraf et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries

Cruz-Jesus¹,

Oliveira²,

Bação³

et al. 2016

Inf Syst Front

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This paper analyzes the digital development of 110 countries and its relationship with economic development. Using factor analysis, we combined seven ICT-related variables into a single measure of digital development. This measure was then used as the dependent variable in an OLS model that allows non-linear effects, with the GDP per capita of countries as the explanatory variable. Our findings are substantive in that the correlation between economic and digital development was found to be not linear, being much stronger in poorer countries, a finding not commonly seen in the literature. As a result, future studies that focus on the relationship between economic and digital developments may benefit from our findings, by postulating this type of relationship. In our model we were able to explain 83% of the variation in the digital development of countries, compared to just 72% if considering only a linear relationship.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries

Cruz-Jesus¹,

Oliveira²,

Bação³

et al. 2016

Inf Syst Front

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“…Hence, community networks need strategies to mitigate sociocultural issues. Trust in technology: Trust in technology is needed if people are to realize the full benefits of access to ICTs (Gomez, Ambikar and Coward, 2009).…”

Section: Development Of a Framework To Assess A Community Network Ecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

A response to the persistent digital divide: Critical components of a community network ecosystem

Rich

Pather

2020

Information Development

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The recent COVID-19 pandemic, and associated mitigation strategies of social distancing and self-isolation, has elevated the importance of telecommunications networks. The recent COVID-19 pandemic, and associated mitigation strategies of social distancing and self-isolation, has elevated the importance of telecommunications networks. In the current era there is little dispute amongst governments and at the highest levels of the United Nations in respect of the right of all citizens, regardless of their station in life, to have unfettered access to the Internet. However, despite substantive investments in telecommunications infrastructure development, a plethora of policy interventions and three world summits on the Information Society, more than half of the world’s population remain unconnected. Over recent years, an emerging solution to the problem has been a bottom-up model of telecommunications ownership, referred to as community networks. There are varying approaches to community networks and different modes of implementation are observed across the globe. However, there is little evidence and consensus on what are all of the necessary elements of the system that comprise a successful community network. In light of this, this paper takes a first step towards the development of a comprehensive framework of the community network ecosystem. Based on the extant literature, a four-pronged People, Technology, Organization and Environment (PTOE) framework is derived. This is then subjected to qualitative analysis against descriptive reports of 11 existing community networks. The final framework and its sub-components provides a holistic and comprehensive perspective of the community network ecosystem. It serves as a basis for further analysis and research of community networks models and also as a means of informing practical implementation of both current and future community networks.

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“…In Latin America, public-access centres take one of three forms: libraries, cybercafés, or telecentres (Gomez, Ambikar, & Coward, 2009), where a telecentre is "a public place where people can find information, create, learn, and communicate with other while developing digital skills through access to information and communication technology" (Telecentre Foundation, 2016). As providers of physical access to the Internet and ICTs, these public centres are ideally situated to collect sexdisaggregated data and generate relevant statistical information about user interactions with digital technologies.…”

Section: Libraries As Information Gatherersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While regional initiatives are being undertaken to improve women's representation in the fields of science, technology, and engineering (Parmentier & Huyer, 2008), the persisting disparity requires action from local public institutions. Although community-based telecentres are often championed over libraries as the preferred points of access (see Gomez, Ambikar, & Coward, 2009;Gomez, & Gould, 2010), testimonies from women have revealed that "without explicitly addressing the needs of women users, telecentres…do not achieve their objectives of providing access to technology to communities and women in particular" (Huyer & Sikoska, 2003, p. 19). With telecentres struggling to provide equal and equitable opportunities of access to and use of the internet and ICTs, the reintroduction of libraries into the equation as suitable collaborative partners becomes increasingly desirable.…”

Section: Libraries As Instructors and Educatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

De-myth-tifying the gender digital divide in Latin America: libraries as intermediaries in bridging the gap

Bull

2016

DJIM

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For decades, the gender digital divide has been observed as a concept and a construct throughout countries all over the world. It persists with particular belligerence in areas like Latin America, where myths surrounding its existence have perpetuated disparities in men’s and women’s access to and use of the internet and information and communications technologies (ICTs). In this paper, the author reveals that in order for the gender digital divide to be rectified, it must first be ‘de-myth-tified’, and claims about the divide as nonexistent, unimportant, or due to women’s inherent technophobia systematically discredited. It is then argued that, by exposing the true nature of the divide, spaces are created for libraries to take on a new role in Latin America, as advocates for gender equality in technology and information. Possibilities for improving policy, education, and innovation are explored, with a call for further research in the field. Second Place DJIM Best Article Award.

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Libraries, telecentres and cybercafés

Cited by 13 publications

References 20 publications

Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries

Assessing the pattern between economic and digital development of countries

A response to the persistent digital divide: Critical components of a community network ecosystem

De-myth-tifying the gender digital divide in Latin America: libraries as intermediaries in bridging the gap

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