Public Computer Centers Reduce -- not Solve -- the Digital Divide


I recently listened to a presentation on how to evaluate the costs and benefits to a public computer center program by a representative of the Colorado state library system.

The expansive program has created 81 centers with public computers throughout the state with 5 full-time employees to maintain the program, including training for computer users. The program provides access to 450 desktop computers, 700 laptops, and has offered training for 10,000 computer users.




An example of one of Colorado's public computer centers.
While the presentation was focused on helping organizations track and evaluate their public computer  programs, they revealed a tremendously helpful resource for low-income community members. A successful public computer center provides easy computer access and skills training, which is what the Colorado program set out to accomplish. Their focus is computer skills, workforce and employment services, as well as health education and English as a Second Language training. The Colorado program was made possible by a grant from the federally-funded Broadband Technology Opportunity Programs (BTOP).

In the Kansas City metropolitan area, there are options for Public Computer Centers. One outlet is the Metropolitan Community Colleges (MCC), which offers computer access during business hours on the weekdays. Like the Colorado library system, MCC was awarded with a BTOP grant "to address the unique needs of the community, emphasizing community college students and economically disadvantaged residents."

The W.E.B. Dubois Learning Center on KC's East Side has had a public computer center program for a few years where the center's "students and other community residents can go to work on their assignments and projects, using the latest computer technology, within walking distance of their homes...."

Given the range of options -- dial-up, cable/DSL, and especially high-cost mobile phone wireless -- for Kansas City area residents, I wonder if any studies have been made on whether programs are reducing the digital divide.

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