Relationship between using libraries, computers and the Internet

PÉTERFI Rita

Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4. pp. 468–483.

The article (its first part see in: Könyvtári Figyelo, 2006. no.1., as above) shows – relying on data of a survey carried out by the National Széchényi Library and the Social Research Centre TÁRKI in autumn 2005 – how the habits of using libraries have altered in Hungary with the advent of information and communication technologies (ICT).
With the help of some matrices, the author outlines the relationship between library membership, services, library visits and using computers and the Internet. The author puts the question: “Are Pierre Bourdieu’s theses on cultural capital, and on the incorporated cultural capital – its accumulation and transmission – relevant also in 21st century Hungary?“
It is clear from data that the problem described in literature as digital divide or digital gap is present also in Hungary. With the accumulation of cultural goods the advantage of people who have access is growing further against those who have not. The reason why this distance is widening is that the privileged group can develop further at a quicker pace than the disadvantaged, consequently the divide gets wider as well. The disadvantages are especially significant in the population of small communities.