Mom, the fridge says we are out of Panda Paws

Imagine that you could receive wireless Internet from your refrigerator. When you are low on milk or eggs, a message could be sent to the grocery store ordering these items. This is now an innovation phenomenon in the information age as the Federal Communications Commission approved a proposal Sept. 22 that will allow unused broadband airwaves to connect to Wi-Fi networks.

This innovation has the ability to give people more access to more information at a higher and more efficient speed. People living in rural areas of the United States will be able use simple devices, such as toasters or washing machines, to obtain information from the convenience of their homes. This approved policy could help more people become information literature, thus widening and expanding their knowledge base.

Organizations, such as Google, are in favor of this policy because it will indeed bring wireless connection to areas that do not have access to it. Maybe some libraries and schools do not have access to the Internet in small communities; thus, these organizations now claim this new innovation will bring education and information to rural communities.

Also, some officials in favor of this idea are claiming that broadband should be considered a universal human right, now included with the right to freedom of speech and religion. But, is broadband a human right or privilege? This is a question that frequently comes to mind.

As a future librarian and according to the librarian code, I believe everyone has the right to information, but I’m still unsure whether broadband itself is a right or a privilege. When I think of universal rights, I think of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are more traditional codes that we have attempted to live by for hundreds of years. When a person mentions human rights, broadband is not the first right that pops up. But, the way we obtain information is becoming advanced as new computer and Internet techniques are being implemented.

This innovation could be beneficial to libraries because it would provide more than the traditional outlet of computers for people to access information in the building. Libraries are supposed to help provide any and all help for research, education and leisure, so it could be a positive as more sources are now possible for its members. With this new policy, we could help expand intellectual freedom and access, too.

Now that we are in the digital age, there is a new set of rules and games to learn. What was once considered normal is now obsolete, making ways for new innovations that will eventually become the norm. Though these ideas, like new wireless broadband connections, are kind of eccentric-sounding in the beginning, they are the future. As a librarian, it’s going to be important for me to keep up-to-date with new policies and regulations that are approved by the government because more than likely they will heavily affect the library and its members, both positively and negatively.