Each month, the open access team of the University of Groningen Library (UB) puts a recent open access article by UG authors in the spotlight. This publication is highlighted via social media and the library’s newsletter and website.

The article in the spotlight for the month of September 2025 is titled 'Directing Digital Citizenship: How Librarians Mediate the Dutch Digital Welfare State’, written by Maud Rebergen, Joëlle Swart and Marcel Broersma (all from the Faculty of Arts).

Abstract

Digital citizenship has emerged as a prominent concept in policy and academic discourse, broadly referring to individuals’ ability to access and use digital tools for public engagement. However, because its meaning varies between actors and across societal contexts, it is still an ambiguous term. This article considers how digital citizenship takes shape in practice by examining the everyday practices of librarians, the key mediators between citizens and the digital welfare state, and analysing how these contrast with conceptualizations of digital citizenship promoted by the Dutch national Digital Inclusion programme. Governments worldwide are adopting “digital‐by‐default” models, emphasizing ICT‐driven public service solutions. While promising greater efficiency and accessibility, this transition exacerbates challenges for individuals lacking access to ICT resources or digital literacy, reinforcing social inequalities. Using the Netherlands as a case study, this research highlights the challenges of digital inclusion in highly digitalized societies. Despite high digitalization rankings, many Dutch citizens face difficulties using digital tools and accessing digital public services. To address this issue, the Dutch government launched the Digital Inclusion programme in 2019, establishing information points and digital skills courses in libraries. Based on ethnographic research in three public libraries, this study reveals a disconnect between policymakers’ conceptualisations of digital citizenship, defining what competencies citizens should possess and what participatory practices are supported, and the lived reality of digital citizenship in public libraries. By highlighting the tensions and misalignments between policy and practice, this article aims to contribute to more inclusive conceptualizations of digital citizenship, to inform digital inclusion initiatives that foster equitable participation in digital societies.

We asked corresponding author Maud Rebergen a few questions about the article:

Your study revealed a disconnect between policymakers’ views of digital citizenship and the lived reality of digital citizenship in public libraries. Can you explain this disconnect and how it shows up in practice?

Our study shows that there is a clear disconnect between what the Dutch government expects from its citizens and the lived reality of citizenship as it plays out in public libraries. First, we observe a significant gap between how the government perceives its citizens and who they actually are. Policymakers often assume a self-reliant, digitally skilled citizen with access to digital devices as the norm, whereas a substantial portion of the population is unable to meet that standard. These are often citizens who are already marginalized, and therefore risk becoming even more excluded. 

Second, there is a discrepancy between the kind of support the government provides through its information points in public libraries and what people actually need to navigate digital landscapes. The focus tends to be on providing information about digital public services, rather than offering practical, hands-on support. In reality, this is not enough for people to fully overcome the digital divide. 

Finally, the way the government understands digital citizenship is narrower than how it actually looks in practice. The focus is mostly on interactions between citizens and the state, but in libraries we see a much broader picture: people download e-books for learning, use computers to write CVs and apply for jobs, or learn how to use video calling software to stay connected with family. Digital participation goes far beyond government services. 

We recommend that the government adopts a broader definition of digital citizenship that reflects what people actually do with digital technologies. This would help design initiatives that better use digital technologies to support inclusive participation for everyone. 

What are the risks of linking social participation to digital skills? Which groups are excluded, and how can this be addressed? 

When social participation depends on digital skills, there is a significant risk of leaving people out, especially those who are already marginalized. In the Netherlands, about one in five adults struggles with digital technologies (CBS, 2023), which is a significant number. Research from the University of Twente (2023) shows that certain groups, like older adults, people with lower education or income, and individuals with low literacy, are particularly at risk.

There is no silver bullet for digital inclusion. It requires a combination of measures: making sure everyone has access to reliable internet and quality devices, offering comprehensive digital education, and creating content that is inclusive by design. Even then, some people will continue to face challenges. That’s why we believe it is important to keep high-quality non-digital alternatives available, so nobody is left behind.

How did you select the journal in which to publish?

We chose Social Inclusion because that journal was planning a special issue that fit our research perfectly. It felt like the right place to reach a wide audience of scholars, practitioners, and policymakers who are interested in digital inclusion.

The journal is known for high-quality, peer-reviewed thematic issues, which gave us the chance to position our work within a collection of international research on related topics. Because it is open access, our findings are freely available. Not just to other researchers but also to practitioners, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to read them.

Could you reflect on your experiences with open access and open science in general?

For me, open access is one of the cornerstones of academic research. I strongly believe that knowledge created within publicly funded institutions should be available to everyone, not locked behind paywalls. Open access publishing is a big step in that direction. By removing financial and legal barriers, it makes research freely available to anyone with an internet connection. This helps spread knowledge more widely, gives authors more visibility, and creates opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.

Open science takes this even further. It’s about making not only publications but also research processes, data, and outcomes more transparent and accessible. In the end, both open access and open science are about the same thing: making sure that the benefits of research can be shared as broadly as possible. 

Useful links

The Digital Inclusion Lab is a research project of the University of Groningen. The Digital Inclusion Lab focuses on questions surrounding the inclusion of different groups in an increasingly digital society, exploring how digital literacy among children and vulnerable groups is learned, applied, experienced and translated within everyday digital practices.

Cogatio press: Submitting authors affiliated with the UG and the UMCG can publish their articles open access at no cost in all journals by Cogitatio Press.

References

Van Deursen, A.J.A.M. (2023). Trendrapport Digitale Inclusie: Kerncijfers en beleidsaanbevelingen. Enschede, Nederland: Centrum voor Digitale Inclusie, Universiteit Twente.

Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek. (2023, November 10). Nederlanders digitaal steeds vaardiger. CBS. https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/nieuws/2023/45/nederlanders-digitaal-steeds-vaardiger

Citation

Rebergen, M., Swart, J., & Broersma, M. (2025). Directing Digital Citizenship: How Librarians Mediate the Dutch Digital Welfare State. Social Inclusion, 13. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.9949

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