Digital Inclusion Week Celebration
The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, Ohio
Innovation Synopsis
A study conducted by Connect Ohio found that 37 percent of households in Mahoning County, many with school-age children, don't have broadband internet. Working with the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, the Digital Literacy Working Group was formed to boost digital literacy and use in the Mahoning Valley.
Challenge/Opportunity
These challenges were identified: lack of understanding regarding the importance of digital literacy skills for future success, lack of adequate and affordable broadband service, access to internet-enabled devices for people unable to afford them, approachable digital literacy training/technical support and a lack of applications/online content designed to enable self-sufficiency. The Digital Literacy Working Group is working to create opportunities so all people can take advantage of educational, economic and social opportunities available through digital technologies.
Key Elements of Innovation
The group used Digital Inclusion Week (May 7-11, 2018) to launch an awareness campaign. More than 30 programs were conducted and cross-promoted, representing the first coordinated effort to address the digital literacy gap. At one library program, "Discovering Technology," teens and adults danced to music and visited stations, learning tools for sharing information, reporting crime and more. The library is a key partner in this initiative and will continue to address barriers and find solutions.
Achieved Outcomes
As community awareness of available services and programs deepens, the group anticipates that program attendance and use of relevant services (e.g., circulating hot spots) will increase. Feedback gathered from users will also drive the planning agenda for future programs and services so that community needs are being met and the level of digital literacy in the Mahoning Valley will increase.