About This Project
This page is part of a larger project focusing on how the Juneau Public Library, in Juneau, Alaska, provides digital literacy services to its community. This project is conducted as part of the course requirements of CIS 650 (Applying Diversity Leadership Theories & Praxis) course in Spring 2025. This project was developed with input from Juneau Public Library's Outreach Coordinator.
Discussion Leadership
The PowerPoint slides shown below feature an overview of an article entitled, "Because I'm Old": The Role of Ageism in Older Adults' Experiences of Digital Literacy Training in Public Libraries, written by Hanna Barrie, Taral La Rose, Brian Detlor, Heidi Julien, and Alexander Serenko in 2021. This research identifies barriers to digital literacy in older adults and finds that older adults need to participate in digital literacy initiatives to address limited digital skill sets, their ability to participate in society, and because they need a safe place to practice digital skills during the learning process. This research implies that digital literacy training should address participant anxiety, understand and address individual barriers to technology, and incorporate training methods that address the heterogeneity of older adults and reflect the perspectives of older adults.
Insights
This research project provided time to study and reflect on the specific needs of senior adults regarding ICT instruction and digital literacy. I could not conduct the research survey exclusively on Juneau residents, so much of the response data was gathered through my network. However, I believe that the survey data accurately reflects the use of technology applications needed for daily life. Given that Juneau has approximately 35,000 residents and is geographically isolated (an island), residents can access high-speed broadband Internet except on the outer edges of the island. However, discussions with the library outreach coordinator indicate that digital literacy is still relatively low. The library seeks to address this need by working with AARP and other community organizations and partners.