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International
Journal of Academic Library and Information Science |
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International Journal of Academic Library and Information Science Vol. 2(2), pp. 14–21, February, ISSN: 2360-7858 ©2014 Academic Research Journals
Review
A Decade of Achievement, a Call to Excellence: The History and Contributions of the HBCU Library Alliance
Marlene D. Allen and Shanesha R. F. Brooks-Tatum
1438 West Peachtree NW, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30309, Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS). Corresponding author’s email: sphoenix@hbculibraries.org
Accepted 19 January, 2014
Many contemporary philosophers,
educators, academics, and other thinkers have begun speculating upon
possible consequences of the “digital divide,” the term used to
denote the division between people who have consistent access to
technology and those who do not. As technology continues to
transform the way we live our contemporary existences, we must also
stop and think about how it can affect our relationships with the
past. Artifacts and documents that tell important stories about our
histories can be lost forever without due diligence in properly
preserving these items. Libraries play weighty roles as preservers
of relics from the past and providers of information literacy
training. Yet, despite playing these essential roles in America
today, many libraries are threatened as state and federal
governments have decreased financial support and slashed budgets for
purchasing books, computers, and other resources. The libraries
associated with the United States’ 105 historically black colleges
and universities (HBCUs) have been especially hard-hit in these
areas for a number of reasons. Increasing numbers of African
American students opt to attend predominantly or traditionally white
institutions with the opening up of new educational opportunities;
many students also find it difficult to afford the tuition costs to
attend private HBCUs and instead must select less expensive colleges
or opt not to attend college at all.
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