What does it mean to be Digital Literate?
As America transitions from a paper society to a digital society, we are moving away from linear book-based knowledge systems towards a more modern digital culture with emerging digital knowledge environments and global networks.
Digital media has enabled people around the world to become connected and access knowledge and information simply by tapping into the interactive participatory nature of the internet, social media platforms, and video games.
We consider digital literacy to be the combination of cognitive, procedural, and social skills needed to be able to intuitively engage and solve problems in digital environments. We are committed to assisting members of our community in building and developing the digital skills they will need to have a voice and participate fully in a digital world.
Mobile devices and Apps, Gesture computing, 3D visualization, gaming, QRcodes, and Augmented Reality are just some of the many engaging ways to access, manipulate, and envision knowledge, data, and action available.
Digital media enables you to learn anywhere, anytime, on the go, to explore your interests with an ease as never before. Educational and learning paradigms are shifting rapidly with the growth of personalized devices and personalized learning environments.
You can be part of specialized knowledge groups, and dive into an interest and develop it with peers and people around the country or around the world. Mobile tech devices can offer you powerful ways to expand your physical world in multiple dimensions. Today you can access information online anytime, anywhere, and are able to share your media creations, ideas, and opinions globally with other people.
In order to develop digital fluency, it is helpful to use, to build, and to practice a wide variety of cognitive, procedural, and social skills to learn how to effectively navigate, to engage with others, to access knowledge and to build relationships in these new and rapidly evolving knowledge and social environments.
The staff at the Dover Town Library is here to help you navigate the digital world, provide you access and an understanding of digital devices, social networks, mobile and gaming technologies, and knowledge platforms. In addition to providing ‘always open’ digital literacy environments, tech bars for drop-in assistance within the library, and a wealth of circulating tech devices for you to check out and explore, we also offer a variety of tech programs which address a broad spectrum of digital skills, devices, and platforms in a group setting.
Have a tech question? Ask anyone of us for help! We are here to help you.
