Bursaries Reimagined: Addressing Digital Inequity through a Library-Led, University-Wide Laptop Bursary Program

Q2 Social Sciences

International Information and Library Review Pub Date : 2023-04-03 DOI:10.1080/10572317.2023.2198877

Martina King, L. Whitson

{"title":"Bursaries Reimagined: Addressing Digital Inequity through a Library-Led, University-Wide Laptop Bursary Program","authors":"Martina King, L. Whitson","doi":"10.1080/10572317.2023.2198877","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The rapid switch to online learning in early 2020 exacerbated problems students were already having with obtaining and maintaining up-to-date devices and a reliable internet connection. MacEwan University Library began offering 4-month term laptop loans at the beginning of the pandemic, but it was clear this was not fully meeting student needs. In response to conversations with faculty and students, the library secured funds from the university’s Student Technology Fee to launch a laptop bursary pilot in Winter 2022, which in turn expanded to a university-wide bursary in Fall 2022. This article discusses why an in-kind laptop bursary was the right approach at the right time in this setting; how this initiative contributes to equity and accessibility; and finally, perceptions of the value of this work, its fit within the scope of the library, and how the unique position of the library as a student-focused service and academic unit positioned it well to successfully offer this bursary. Challenges and opportunities for improvement are also discussed.","PeriodicalId":39917,"journal":{"name":"International Information and Library Review","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Information and Library Review","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10572317.2023.2198877","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Social Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 1

Abstract

Abstract The rapid switch to online learning in early 2020 exacerbated problems students were already having with obtaining and maintaining up-to-date devices and a reliable internet connection. MacEwan University Library began offering 4-month term laptop loans at the beginning of the pandemic, but it was clear this was not fully meeting student needs. In response to conversations with faculty and students, the library secured funds from the university’s Student Technology Fee to launch a laptop bursary pilot in Winter 2022, which in turn expanded to a university-wide bursary in Fall 2022. This article discusses why an in-kind laptop bursary was the right approach at the right time in this setting; how this initiative contributes to equity and accessibility; and finally, perceptions of the value of this work, its fit within the scope of the library, and how the unique position of the library as a student-focused service and academic unit positioned it well to successfully offer this bursary. Challenges and opportunities for improvement are also discussed.

查看原文本刊更多论文

重新构想的助学金:通过图书馆领导的大学范围内的笔记本电脑助学金计划解决数字不平等问题

2020年初，快速转向在线学习加剧了学生在获取和维护最新设备和可靠互联网连接方面已经存在的问题。麦克尤恩大学图书馆在疫情开始时开始提供为期4个月的笔记本电脑借阅服务，但很明显，这并不能完全满足学生的需求。在与教师和学生的对话中，图书馆从大学的学生技术费中获得了资金，在2022年冬季启动了一个笔记本电脑助学金试点项目，并在2022年秋季扩展到全校范围的助学金。本文讨论了为什么在这种情况下，实物笔记本电脑助学金是正确的方法;这一倡议如何促进公平和无障碍;最后，对这项工作价值的看法，它是否适合图书馆的范围，以及图书馆作为一个以学生为中心的服务和学术单位的独特地位如何使它能够成功地提供这项奖学金。本文还讨论了改进的挑战和机遇。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Information and Library Review Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： For more than twenty years, the International Information and Library Review has been welcomed by information scientists, librarians and other scholars and practitioners all over the world for its timely articles on research and development in international and comparative librarianship, information sciences, information policy and information ethics, digital values and digital libraries. Contributions to the journal have come from staff or members of many different international organizations, including the United Nations, UNESCO, IFLA, and INTAMEL, and from library and information scientists in academia, government, industry, and other organizations.