Democracy, the role of government and the development of the digital citizen Sue McKerracher, CEO, ALIA 12 November 2015

Democracy = social equity = the absence of systemic disparities Digital access in Australia is far from equitable

One in five Australians is not online Four in 10 of the lowest income households in Australia are not connected to the internet Of people aged 65 or more, only 46% are internet users and 75% feel confused about using technology The digital divide

With no internet at home, kids need to go somewhere else to do their homework 1.6 million seniors are unable to benefit from online banking, grocery orders, bill payments, ebooks, , skype Jobseekers can’t find and apply for jobs online The digital divide

People with a profound or severe disability requiring assistance with core activities have significantly lower access to the internet and broadband than other Australians. The digital divide

“Remote Indigenous communities can potentially gain some of the greatest benefits from the internet. They are however also the most poorly served across a range of facets: lack of network access and poor connection speeds; expensive internet plans and the relative paucity of free community internet opportunities; language barriers in accessing complex government websites; reduced access to opportunities for digital literacy and digital skills development.” Northern Territory Library response to current Telstra digital inclusion conversation

Digital inclusion in the library context Support for cybersafe online experiences High speed broadband internet connection in a safe, friendly community space PC terminals, tablets, ereaders wifi Spaces for exploring innovative digital technologies Training and informal help for people to develop digital literacy skills Necessary and engaging content

What is going well eSmart program has 40% coverage of public libraries; Children’s eSafety Commissioner National Broadband Network will connect 9.5 million premises in 2018 Free wifi in 70% of public libraries; 97% of libraries have internet terminals 27 of the 30 first- round Digital Hubs were sited in public libraries Tech Savvy Seniors, Everyone Connected; 66% of libraries offer formal internet training sessions million items on Trove

Opportunities for improvement Joined up approach to cybersafety from federal government Focus on internet speeds outside metro areas and funding of last mile connection Further government investment in libraries as community technology centres National policy framework for digital access to cultural collections Recognition of cost-shifting from federal/state to local government

2015/16 – a big year for digital citizenship Federal government Digital Transformation Office Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner NBN roll out Enterprise Telstra Digital Inclusion Index National Year of Digital Inclusion Libraries eSmart Libraries GLAM peak bodies digital access to cultural collections conversation