Assessment Criteria
SJSUL's ethnically and socioeconomically diverse user base suggests a need for services that support users with limited access to personal computing technology.
Research indicates that the most effective strategies for narrowing the digital literacy divide for students who belong to racial minority groups or the working class are: 1) free access to computers (Fairlie, 2012) and 2) computer literacy training, especially in software literacy (Tien & Fu, 2008).
Accordingly, this study assesses King Library's services to users with limited prior or current computer access in terms of the Library's provision of 1) free computer access and 2) computer literacy training.
Shortcomings of these criteria include a lack of objective methodology, such as for measuring extent and effectiveness of services; a narrow frame in terms of potentially effective services; and limited data regarding needs specific to SJSU students.