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Original Research | Library Science | Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026 | Pages: 603 - 608 | India
Bridging the Digital Divide: A Data-Driven Analysis of Academic Libraries as Digital Equity Agents for Generation Z Learners
Abstract: The digital divide- the gap between those with meaningful access to digital technologies and those without- remains a persistent structural challenge in higher education even as Generation Z (born c. 1997-2012) is popularly cast as a digitally fluent cohort. Current national survey data show that this characterization obscures substantial intra-generational inequality: as of 2025, only 54% of U.S. households earning under $30,000 annually subscribe to home broadband, compared with 94% of the highest-income households, and 16% of U.S. adults remain smartphone-only internet users. This article synthesizes peer-reviewed literature, theoretical frameworks (Selwyn, 2004; Warschauer, 2003; Sen, 1999), and newly compiled empirical indicators- including current Pew Research Center survey data, Bay View Analytics OER trend data, and multi-year generative AI adoption statistics- to examine how academic libraries function as institutional agents of digital equity. Findings, presented through data tables and figures, indicate that library interventions- device and hotspot lending, embedded digital literacy instruction, open educational resource (OER) advocacy, learning commons infrastructure, and targeted outreach- produce measurable improvements in access, cost savings, and academic outcomes, while an emerging body of evidence highlights urgent new demands for artificial intelligence literacy instruction. The article concludes with policy recommendations and a research agenda for sustaining libraries' digital equity mandate.
Keywords: academic libraries, digital divide, Generation Z, digital literacy, open educational resources, artificial intelligence literacy, digital equity, higher education
How to Cite?: Dr Rosario Vasantha Kumar P J, "Bridging the Digital Divide: A Data-Driven Analysis of Academic Libraries as Digital Equity Agents for Generation Z Learners", Volume 15 Issue 7, July 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 603-608, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26707110700, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26707110700