Bridging Digital Divides during COVID-19: Findings from the 2020-2021 Connecticut State Library Digital Inclusion Survey

ABSTRACT

This article presents findings from the 2020–2021 Connecticut State Library Digital Inclusion Survey. The primary purpose of this study was to determine what actions public libraries in Connecticut are already taking to meet the digital inclusion needs of their communities and what information and assistance they need to better meet these goals. However, since this study was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the author customized numerous questions to focus on how public libraries have adjusted their operations when patrons have had limited access to library buildings. Responses from public library representatives throughout the state show that libraries have used tactics such as delivering previously in-person public programs through video conferencing formats and shifting portions of their physical materials budget to support digital items.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital inclusion
• digital divide
• budget
• covid-19
• pandemic

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the Connecticut State Library Division of Library Development for its support of this project. The organization’s E-Rate and LSTA Grants Coordinator, Christine Gauvreau, initially invited me to conduct this research and was my main contact throughout the process. She was instrumental in shaping the survey, defining the scope and purpose of the project, and generally keeping me on track throughout the process.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian Real

Brian Real, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Information and Library and Information Science at Southern Connecticut State University. He holds a PhD in Information Studies and an MLS from the University of Maryland. His research is split between analyses of the modern social impact of public libraries and the historical impact of federal policy on film preservation. Dr. Real has published in Public Library Quarterly, Library Quarterly, Information Technology and Libraries, The Moving Image, Journal of Archival Organization, and Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television.