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.
Juneau Public Library Downtown Branch
Valley Branch
Douglas Branch
Strategic Diversity Assessment for Library Resources Supporting Digital Literacy in Seniors
This page focuses on public library services available for senior citizens ages 50+ provided by the Juneau Public Library located in Juneau, Alaska. Senior Citizens ages 50+ account for 24% of the total population (adults aged 50 to 59 (7%, [n=2,077]; adults aged 60 to 69 ([8%, [n=2,447); Adults aged 70+ (9%, [n=2,849]) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). According to the Outreach Services Librarian (Sandkam, M., Interview, January 2025), most of the Juneau population has high-speed Internet access. However, based on her experience working with the community, most of the residents are at the basic skills level concerning computer literacy. She also mentioned that Internet speed is negatively impacted by the large number of tourists visiting the island in the summer months, which is prohibitive to conducting computer training during peak tourism times.
Juneau Public Library (JPL) outlines technology services provided by the library for all citizens and visitors to Juneau, Alaska. The three library branches provide access to Internet terminals and wireless networks, along with Internet help through reference services via face-to-face, phone, and email interactions. The JPL also offers laptop computers, video conferencing equipment, scanners, printers, and photocopiers in all three branches. A teleconferencer is available for support in the Downtown branch. JPL's video conferencing services in three public meeting rooms with "the capacity to connect video-enabled rooms in 95 libraries across the state as well as educational and cultural organizations around the world" (City and Borough of Juneau, 2021-2025).
JPL launched a new technology training program, Tech You Find at the Library, in February 2025. These instructional sessions represented the first technology training provided by the library and consisted of two back-to-back one-hour and 25-minute sessions in partnership with AARP. The attendance goal was 30 attendees for each session. These trial tech training sessions were for adults and were held before library hours. Each session included a training segment held in a library meeting space, followed by computer applications of the training using the library computers. Following these sessions, the library staff conducted a community survey to assess technology needs.
An analysis of the library resources provided by JPL based on a "Strategic Diversity Manifesto" as identified by Mehra and Davis (2014) is provided in the table below:
Table One: Library Resources Supporting Digital Literacy
List of Hyperlinks Embedded in Table One
Collections - https://anch.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/jpl/
Diversity Committee - https://juneau.org/library/technology-services
Internal Centers and Organizations - https://local.aarp.org/juneau-ak/local-resources/
JPL is limited in its capacity to provide technology training to adults by both the number of staff employed by the system and the physical space availability across the three branches. They circumvent the limitations by focusing on one-on-one services to support digital literacy through the library's reference service desk personnel.
References
AARP. (n.d.). AARP Virtual Community Center. https://local.aarp.org/virtual-community-center/
City and Borough of Juneau. (2021-2025). Juneau Public Libraries - Technology Services, https://juneau.org/library/technology-services
Mehra, B. and Davis, R. (2015). A Strategic Diversity Manifesto for Public Libraries in the 21st Century. New Library World, 116:1/2, 15-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/NWL-04-2014-0043
U.S. Census Bureau (2010). https://data.census.gov/profile/Juneau_city_and_borough._Alaska