Comment on Digital Libraries and Digital Divide

The future of digital libraries might lie in speed and convenience in searching and access. That does not mean that digital is necessarily superior for all types of information access in terms of quality. There is also the problem of the digital divide - will poorer nations or communities suffer from lack of internet access or internet resources? This may especially be a problem or challenge given that how digital libraries will be funded and maintained is already and still a problem in developed nations. However, if an economic model could be found - and that might mean actual decisions to search for such a model - digital libraries could actually increase the ability of researchers in undeveloped nations to access necessary information in journals, because of the possibility of remote access. However, this might require flexible licensing agreements or open access. Thus, the main problems might not be technological, but might be economic and legal issues. The photo above and to the left is from a Unesco portal of digital libraries in Africa.