Please don't forget my parents! - Digital Exclusion is happening, so you all better know about it
Plenary | Mon 20 Jan 3:45 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
Presented by
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Sae Ra Germaine is the Deputy CEO of a leading library consortium in Melbourne, Australia, bringing over 20 years of expertise in resource-sharing frameworks and open-source technology integration within libraries. With a Bachelor of Computing (Honours), she oversees the consortium’s high-density Storage Centre, supporting sustainable and accessible resource management for member institutions. Sae Ra has been instrumental in establishing resource-sharing systems that allow libraries to maximise space and efficiently share materials.
An advocate for open-source systems, Sae Ra promotes customisable library management solutions that reduce reliance on costly proprietary software. Her leadership in organisations like VALA – Libraries, Technology, and the Future, and Linux Australia underscores her dedication to community-centered technology. As a member of auDA’s General Advisory Standing Committee, she also influences digital policy impacting library technology. Sae Ra advises on a range of topics including digital transformation, open-source adoption, and collaborative library ecosystems, advocating for a future where libraries are resilient, innovative, and accessible.
Abstract
The internet turned 35 in 2024. In human terms it's a relatively young concept. There are still many of us that remember a time without the internet. But in technological terms it's an older technology that has become the fabric of how we live, learn, play, and work.
Tim Berners- Lee was quoted to say that "it was to be a tool to empower humanity" and yet...
Meet my parents, they live 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD and yet they have no usable internet, barely any reception and yet they are expected to do all of their taxes and Centerlink paperwork on the internet. 3G shutdown is happening in October and that's the only reasonable reception that they can get. According to the 2023 Australian Digital Inclusion Index almost one-quarter of Australians are considered to be "digitally excluded".
This talk covers a little bit of where we are now in Australia, what it means to be digitally excluded, what is put in place in other countries to help reduce the technological gap, and what the Library's role was especially during the Pandemic to help people like my parents get access to services. The talk will also discuss the need for the building of skills and digital competency and always keeping in mind people like my parents.
The internet turned 35 in 2024. In human terms it's a relatively young concept. There are still many of us that remember a time without the internet. But in technological terms it's an older technology that has become the fabric of how we live, learn, play, and work. Tim Berners- Lee was quoted to say that "it was to be a tool to empower humanity" and yet... Meet my parents, they live 40 minutes from the Melbourne CBD and yet they have no usable internet, barely any reception and yet they are expected to do all of their taxes and Centerlink paperwork on the internet. 3G shutdown is happening in October and that's the only reasonable reception that they can get. According to the 2023 Australian Digital Inclusion Index almost one-quarter of Australians are considered to be "digitally excluded". This talk covers a little bit of where we are now in Australia, what it means to be digitally excluded, what is put in place in other countries to help reduce the technological gap, and what the Library's role was especially during the Pandemic to help people like my parents get access to services. The talk will also discuss the need for the building of skills and digital competency and always keeping in mind people like my parents.