By Whitney Holmes

The Internet.

Every day it connects people all across the world. But as it connects some, it leaves others behind, deepening the digital divide between the Internet’s haves and have-nots.

This divide is especially great in the rural regions of southern and central Appalachia. It is well documented that these areas are statistically below the national average in information literacy, Internet use, computer ownership, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Many mundane activities are now performed only online, but so are some critical ones, such as filing for government services or applying for jobs. With the majority of the population in Appalachia cut off from Internet access in their homes, either due to lack of service or not being able to afford it, they head to the one place that does have it—the library.

According to research conducted by Bharat Mehra, associate professor in the School of Information Sciences, and his colleagues, basic Internet access is the most important information resource rural libraries provide. It has the power to improve everyday life. It gives people the potential to achieve greater social equity and empowerment.

Mehra is one of the world’s preeminent scholars in defining the digital divide, a concept he describes simply as “the troubling gap between those who use computers and the Internet and those who do not.”

Mehra is working diligently on closing that gap. In 2009, he and co-principal investigators Kimberly Black and Vandana Singh received a $567,660 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop the Information Technology Rural Librarian Master’s Scholarship Program aimed at bridging the digital divide in the southern and central Appalachian regions. The foundation of the ITRL program is a customized curriculum for the master’s program in library and information science based on research Mehra and his team conducted to document the authentic experiences and realities of today’s rural librarians.

“There are many unique circumstances rural librarians are forced to deal with on a daily basis that are not covered in a traditional library and information science curriculum. We incorporate those into our program,” he says.

The first step was to administer a needs-assessment study consisting of focus group interviews with 50 library professionals from across southern and central Appalachia. The feedback was then used to tailor the curriculum to address the most prevalent issues. For example, the group was asked to identify the most critical information needs of rural clients in their libraries. The most common answer would shock many with its simplicity—teaching people how to use the Internet, or a computer.

“Library professionals desperately need competencies and skills in information technology to help their local libraries and communities deal with some of the unique cultural, social, economic, and environmental challenges of the region,” Mehra explains.

Another survey question was used to determine what types of training would help rural librarians be more effective in their positions. Mehra and his colleagues discovered a myriad of skills such as public administration, human resources, and leadership that were believed to be essential for rural library professionals. Other skills, such as a “high touch” approach to customer service, connecting with diverse clients, forming partnerships and collaborations with other agencies and institutions, conflict resolution training, and grant writing were also requested.

As a result, in addition to six information technology courses, the curriculum includes five courses dedicated to rural library management and services. The course content focuses on the necessary skills identified in the team’s research.

For example, the course in public library management and services teaches students methods of data collection and analysis to better understand the needs of their users and improve rural library services. The grant development course shows how to develop strategic relationship management skills and respond to external funding opportunities. The rural librarianship course expects students to conduct an in-depth analysis of a rural library community for developing a long-range marketing and public relations plan that promotes the use of cutting-edge library services in rural areas.

The custom ITRL curriculum is currently being delivered via distance education to a cohort of 16 paraprofessionals in six states, extending from Maryland to Tennessee. The students—separated by hundreds of miles—attend classes together in real time every week using Voice Over Internet Protocol technology. They will graduate in 2012 with a master’s degree focusing on information technology and rural librarianship from the SIS.

“Libraries have become key players in reaching out to rural communities. Sometimes the library is the only place where Internet connections are available in the area because it is so geographically isolated,” says Mehra. “Through better preparation, rural librarians will become ‘change agents’ with a strong potential to make a positive, progressive difference in the everyday lives of the people in their communities.”

As the program progresses, Mehra and his team will continue to collect quantitative and qualitative data in the form of student surveys and interviews. Before each course, he inquires about their expectations for the class and afterward asks if their expectations were met, thus ensuring that goals and objectives identified in the grant proposal are met.

“It’s been one of my key missions to work with disenfranchised or underserved people, to encourage our students to engage with them—partner with them as equals—to help improve their everyday lives,” he says.

After the students graduate, their work as change agents will truly begin. Mehra says they will partner with other rural libraries and communities to promote progressive changes in their environments. He also intends to take this program to the next level with an evaluation of broadband connectivity in rural libraries and its impact on economic development.

Tags: Bharat Mehra • Communication Studies • Information Sciences • Library science • Technology