Digital libraries and their role in women’s cognitive empowerment: A comparative study between women’s use of digital libraries in major cities and isolated areas

Abstract

Women are a dynamic and vital element in society if they are given the opportunity to develop their scientific and practical abilities and skills in accessing information that supports them intellectually and increases their culture and experiences. This may be difficult to provide for women who live in areas far from major cities due to the scarcity or scarcity of libraries and information centers available to visit, but in the digital era that we currently live in, there is a good opportunity to integrate women into society, enhance their scientific capabilities, knowledge and research expertise, and participate at the local and international levels. . Therefore, the current Saudi development plan sought to narrow the development gap between major and remote cities, especially with regard to women and providing them with the opportunity to develop through education and knowledge. Hence, the current study aims to identify the role of digital libraries for Saudi women in both major and remote cities, their skills in using digital resources, their motivations for use, the impact of digital sources on their scientific and cultural communication, their educational and research development, and the extent of their satisfaction with the digital resources available for use. Among them, in addition to revealing the obstacles and proposals that it deems important to activate its benefit from digital resources.