According to the research public access points to information are physical spaces, open and accessible to the public, which the main goal is to access information resources, whether digital or not digital. In the process were prioritized public libraries, Internet cafes and telecentres.
Emphasis was given on the analysis of users: who was sitting there? In other words, who was making use of these spaces during the investigation? The first comment was regarding the age; the results showed that in urban areas people between 15 and 35 years are those who make use of the telecentres, public libraries and Internet cafes. While in rural areas the behavior is similar, although increases in the number of young people 14 years or less compared to urban areas. Regarding gender, the lines between men and women, are very close in the case of telecentres, in the case of the libraries it was discovered that women are making more use of libraries than boys and in the case of Internet cafes there is a similar use between men and women.
The second point discussed in the research was the level of education. Public libraries, Internet cafes and telecentres are not being visited by the population with no formal education. The reflection here is that these points are specially designed for the excluded population, but it is precisely this population that is not visiting these points of access to information.
Regarding the information that is searched in such spaces it is found that in libraries users look for more information on education, news, entertainment and health; in telecentres they search for: education, news, business, entertainment and in Internet cafes: education, entertainment, news and health, all in the order mentioned. On the use of ICT it was collected that libraries were used to: browsing, email, chat, games, blogs and social networks; telecentres: email, browsing, chat, games, blogs and social networks while in Internet cafes , email, browsing, chat, games, blogs and social networks in the order presented.
On relevant content, it was highlighted that they are useful for fulfilling user’s needs on information and knowledge and they are also in suitable formats, languages and medias, which makes them easier to access. Some of those medias are community radios, informal markets, grocery stores, mobile phones, newspapers, video and audio.
Such means exist in contexts where public access points are targeted. So will telecentres or libraries lose their relevance?
Libraries are identified as areas of information recognized by the public as important but without relevant content, while "telecentres or Internet cafes have a world of content but not in the proper format or."Contents are not in telecentres, Internet cafes or libraries, there are different areas of information in communities and relevant medias to various populations." There is a need for "infomediaries" people who can make a connection between telecentres and information. Generally has been seen that people who attend these sites (operators, administrators, librarians, etc.), are serving some needs of information, but that is only one level of intermediation. It’s up to local communities and organizations lead this process of information exchange.
here have been few opportunities for telecentres in Central America meet and reflect upon their actions. This opportunity took place in San Jose, Costa Rica where in March the 3rd and 4th about 40 people from different countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Costa Rica were together. All of them wanted to perform this important task; reflect on the successes, challenges and lessons learned from investing in ICT4D to reduce the digital gap for the last twenty years. In this context, Kemly Camacho, coordinator of research and development of Sula Batsú (organization that hosted the event), gave a presentation on a global research (diagnosis) of access points to information. This research was promoted by the University of Washington and was conducted in 23 countries worldwide. In the case of Central America, Costa Rica, Honduras and the Dominican Republic were included.
According to the research public access points to information are physical spaces, open and accessible to the public, which the main goal is to access information resources, whether digital or not digital. In the process were prioritized public libraries, Internet cafes and telecentres.
Emphasis was given on the analysis of users: who was sitting there? In other words, who was making use of these spaces during the investigation? The first comment was regarding the age; the results showed that in urban areas people between 15 and 35 years are those who make use of the telecentres, public libraries and Internet cafes. While in rural areas the behavior is similar, although increases in the number of young people 14 years or less compared to urban areas. Regarding gender, the lines between men and women, are very close in the case of telecentres, in the case of the libraries it was discovered that women are making more use of libraries than boys and in the case of Internet cafes there is a similar use between men and women.
The second point discussed in the research was the level of education. Public libraries, Internet cafes and telecentres are not being visited by the population with no formal education. The reflection here is that these points are specially designed for the excluded population, but it is precisely this population that is not visiting these points of access to information.
Regarding the information that is searched in such spaces it is found that in libraries users look for more information on education, news, entertainment and health; in telecentres they search for: education, news, business, entertainment and in Internet cafes: education, entertainment, news and health, all in the order mentioned. On the use of ICT it was collected that libraries were used to: browsing, email, chat, games, blogs and social networks; telecentres: email, browsing, chat, games, blogs and social networks while in Internet cafes , email, browsing, chat, games, blogs and social networks in the order presented.
On relevant content, it was highlighted that they are useful for fulfilling user’s needs on information and knowledge and they are also in suitable formats, languages and medias, which makes them easier to access. Some of those medias are community radios, informal markets, grocery stores, mobile phones, newspapers, video and audio.
Such means exist in contexts where public access points are targeted. So will telecentres or libraries lose their relevance?
Libraries are identified as areas of information recognized by the public as important but without relevant content, while "telecentres or Internet cafes have a world of content but not in the proper format or."Contents are not in telecentres, Internet cafes or libraries, there are different areas of information in communities and relevant medias to various populations." There is a need for "infomediaries" people who can make a connection between telecentres and information. Generally has been seen that people who attend these sites (operators, administrators, librarians, etc.), are serving some needs of information, but that is only one level of intermediation. It’s up to local communities and organizations lead this process of information exchange.
The writer is a Community Facilitator for the spanish site of telecentre.org
| Telecentre Times, © 2008 All rights reserved.