The democratization of knowledge is the acquisition
and spread of knowledge amongst
the common people, not just privileged elites such
as clergy and academics. Libraries public libraries in particular and modern
digital technology such as the internet play a key role in the democratization
of knowledge, as they provide open access of information to the masses
History
Another small example of this during the Industrial Revolution was
the creation of libraries for miners in some Scottish villages in the 18th
century.
Wikipedia is
rapidly turning into a real-time reference tool in which public entries can be
updated by anyone at any time. This phenomenona product of the digital age has
greatly contributed to the democratization of knowledge in the post-modern era.
At the same time, it has raised a number of valid criticisms in this regard .
For instance, one could draw a distinction between the mere spread of
information and the spread of accurate or credible information.
Wikipedia may thus be a more reliable source of information in certain spheres,
but not necessarily in others.
In the Digital Age
The democratization of technology has played a major
facilitating role. Wikipedia co-founder, Larry Sanger, states
in his article that “Professionals are no
longer needed for the bare purpose of the mass distribution of information and
the shaping of opinion.” Sanger’s article confronts the existence of “common
knowledge” and pits it against knowledge that everyone agrees on.
In terms of democratization of knowledge, Wikipedia has
played a major role. For instance, Wikipedia has attracted 400 million viewers
across the globe and has communicated with them in over 270 languages.
Google Book Search has
been pointed to as an example of democratization of knowledge, but Malte Herwig in Der Spiegel raised
concerns that the virtual monopoly Google has
in the search market,
combined with Google's hiding of the details of its search algorithms, could
undermine this move towards democratization
Democratic access to knowledge has also been co-opted to mean
providing information in a variety of formats, which essentially means
electronic and digital formats for use by library patrons. Public
libraries help further the democratization of information by guaranteeing
freedom of access to information, by providing an unbiased variety of
information sources and access to government services, as well as the promotion
of democracy and an active citizenship
Democratization of Information: Focus on Libraries . The focus of
the forum was to bring awareness to the social, technological, and financial
challenges facing libraries dealing with the democratization of information.
Social challenges included globalization and the digital divide, technological
challenges included information sources, and financial challenges constituted
shrinking budgets and manpower.
The democratization of knowledge is the spread of
knowledge among common people, in contrast to knowledge being controlled by
elite groups .Libraries play an essential role in the democratization of
knowledge and information by providing communities with the resources and tools
to find information free of charge.
By Segesela Blandina
BAPRM 42663
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