Natalie Greene Taylor

Digital Literacy and Digital Inclusion: Information Policy and the Public Library examines the interrelationships between digital literacy, digital inclusion, and public policy, emphasizing the impacts of these policy decisions on the ability of individuals and communities to successfully participate in the information society. This book is the first detailed consideration of digital literacy and digital inclusion as policy problems and as core issues in information policy and libraries. The unique features of this book include ·drawing together the key themes and findings from the discourse on digital literacy and digital inclusion widely spread among many fields; ·analyzing digital literacy and digital inclusion as policy issues, both being driven and regulated by policy; ·building on a wealth of original research conducted by the authors using different quantitative and qualitative data collection approaches on four different continents when analyzing these issues, providing unique examples, case studies, and perspectives; ·using information behavior theory to provide important insights about these issues at individual, community, and political levels; ·providing recommendations to inform practice in libraries and help libraries to frame their advocacy for public policies that support literacy and inclusion; and ·providing policy recommendations to improve the creation and implementation of policy instruments that promote digital literacy and digital inclusion. The authors of this book have been involved in this research for many years, and their experience provides a broad view across the literature, inherent problems, and national perspectives. This breadth allows this book to offer comprehensive policy recommendations, solutions, and best practices for an area that is fragmented in discourse, practice, and policy.

Learning the basic concepts of information law and the many legal concepts that come into play in the field of librarianship can seem like an overwhelming endeavor. Drawing upon the authors’ unique backgrounds in both law and librarianship, this text is designed to empower readers to understand, rather than be intimidated by, the law. It melds essential context, salient examples of best practices, and stimulating discussions to illuminate numerous key legal and social issues directly related to the information professions. Helping readers better understand the role of law in their work, this primer discusses information law as part of a continuum of interrelated issues rather than an assortment of discrete topics; examines information law in the context of different types of libraries; delves into the manifold legal issues raised when interacting with patrons and communities, from intellectual freedom topics like censorship and public activities in the library to the legal issues surrounding materials and information access; elucidates operational and management legal issues, including library security, interacting with law enforcement, advocacy, lobbying, funding, human resources, and liability; promotes literacy of the law, its structures, and its terminology as a professional skill; gives readers the tools to find and understand different sources of legal authority and demonstrates how to interpret them when they conflict; and explores information law as a national and cross-national issue.

It's not hyperbole to conclude that in today's world, information literacy is essential for survival and success; and also that, if left unchecked, the social consequences of widespread misinformation and information illiteracy will only continue to grow more dire. Thus its study must be at the core of every LIS education. While many books have been written on information literacy, this text is the first to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. The ideal resource for introducing students to this important subject, in this book the authors also explore key related issues such as technology, public policy, human rights, community engagement, and advocacy. Drawing upon both the latest research and best practices, they address information literacy in ways relevant for all types of libraries, providing both the broader context and a range of applied strategies and programs for promoting and teaching information literacy.

Foreword by Alan S. Inouye; Afterword by Nancy KranichThis important new text provides a much-needed introduction to the myriad information policy issues that impact information professionals, information institutions, and the users and communities served by those institutions. In this key textbook for LIS students and reference text for practitioners, noted scholars Jaeger and Taylordraw from current, authoritative sources to familiarize readers with the history of information policy;discuss the broader societal issues shaped by policy, including access to infrastructure, digital literacy and inclusion, accessibility, and security;elucidate the specific laws, regulations, and policies that impact information, including net neutrality, filtering, privacy, openness, and much more;use case studies from a range of institutions to examine the issues, bolstered by discussion questions that encourage readers to delve more deeply;explore the intersections of information policy with human rights, civil rights, and professional ethics; andprepare readers to turn their growing understanding of information policy into action, through activism, advocacy, and education.This book will help future and current information professionals better understand the impacts of information policy on their activities, improving their ability to serve as effective advocates on behalf of their institutions, patrons, and communities.

The first of its kind, this important new text provides a much-needed introduction to the myriad information policy issues that impact information professionals, information institutions, and the patrons and communities served by those institutions.In this key textbook for LIS students and reference text for practitioners, noted scholars Jaeger and Taylor: draw from current, authoritative sources to familiarize readers with the history of information policy, discuss the broader societal issues shaped by policy, including access to infrastructure, digital literacy and inclusion, accessibility, and security, elucidate the specific laws, regulations, and policies that impact information, including net neutrality, filtering, privacy, openness, and much more, use case studies from a range of institutions to examine the issues, bolstered by discussion questions that encourage readers to delve more deeply, explore the intersections of information policy with human rights, civil rights, and professional ethics, and prepare readers to turn their growing understanding of information policy into action, through activism, advocacy, and education.

Libraries, Human Rights, and Social Justice: Enabling Access and Promoting Inclusion examines the interrelationships between digital literacy, digital inclusion, and public policy, emphasizing the impacts of these policy decisions on the ability of individuals and communities to successfully participate in the information society. It is the first large-scale consideration of digital literacy and digital inclusion as policy problems and provides policy recommendations to promote digital literacy and digital inclusion. This book is intended to help librarians better understand and articulate their roles in promoting human rights and social justice, as well as to educate policymakers, government officials, professionals in other fields, and researchers in other disciplines about the contributions of libraries to human rights and social justice. It explores the intersections of information, human rights, and social justice from a range of perspectives and addresses the differing roles of library institutions (public, school, academic, and special libraries), library professionals, professional organizations, governments, and library patrons. Discussion focuses on the practical side of human rights and avoids most of the philosophical discussions of the term. Similarly, this book emphasizes the practical nature of social justice and the social and societal structures that foster equality. Related issues of digital literacy and digital inclusion are considered as essential to providing information in human rights and social justice contexts. Digital literacy, the ability to use the Internet to meet information, combines with access to the Internet in order to successfully apply the skills of digital literacy is discussed under the topic of digital inclusion. These topics are discussed through legal, policy, social, cultural, and economic lenses. Issues are examined both in terms of efforts to support equity in communities as a whole and the efforts intended to promote equity in specific disadvantaged or marginalized populations, such as the homeless, immigrants, people with disabilities, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. Many examples of the issues discussed are drawn from the original research that the authors have conducted. The ideas and suggestions in this book should help members of the library community understand where their roles related to human rights and social justice originate, how they fit within the broader policy context, how to improve their related services and practices, and how to advocate for better support of these roles. The authors of this book have been involved in this research for many years and this breadth allows the book to offer comprehensive policy recommendations, solutions, and best practices for an area that is currently extremely fragmented. The writing is at a level to make it useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and policy makers.