This website summarizes a research project that investigates San Jose State University's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (SJSUL) in terms its services to patrons who lack personal computing technology. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library facility (King Library) serves as a hybrid of both a public and an academic institution. Although the San Jose Public Library System and San Jose State University (SJSU) share the King Library building and some resources, most services provided by SJSU are available exclusively to SJSU students, faculty, and staff. This project focuses on resources and services specific to San Jose State University's offerings through the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.
Welcome!
The project described herein assesses services that SJSUL offers to its racially and socioeconomically diverse user base in terms of how it addresses the so-called "digital divide" -or the often race-based and class-based gap between populations in terms of digital literacy. Assessment criteria are selected based on SJSU student demographics and the needs characteristic of these demographic groups; specifically on needs resulting from limited technical access or experience. Research consists of in-depth studies of the Library's and University's websites, a review of academic literature, and an in-person visit to the King Library facility. The study concludes that SJSUL provides services that support users with limited access to personal computing technology.