Luddites Still Abound!!!!

I think it is essential for libraries to consider their full range of users - from those who are technically savvy to those who are either indifferent to, or annoyed by technology. How this may be done may vary according to what type of library it is - public library, children's library, academic library, industry library.....etc. Here's a link to an article about a Pew survey, as reported in The Star, originally from "The Economist". Apparently, in a survey of 4000 American adults - the ages of the adults are not indicated which I see as a weakness in the reporting, if not, perhaps in the study - 49% seemed to have Luddite tendencies, instead of being "early Adopters" of technology. The latter is a marketing notion, like that of focus groups, used to try to determine future marketing campaigns. This survey does not indicate whether early adopters actually act as leaders of the pack. If they do, then we would expect many of these Luddites to eventually be won over to technology. The question also becomes one of whether there should be an educational campaign to overcome their initial resistance, and what part libraries should or should not play in such an educational campaign. When does such education in computer literacy become one of propaganda, of one seen as limiting choice rather than maximizing choice? However, a full 48% of the respondents to this survey did say that internet technology has given them more control over their lives, while 67% stated they enjoyed the choice given them through the world wide web. One wonders then whether the headlines of this article "Attention, tech laggards. You're not alone" is simply misleading.