Empowering digital citizens: The role of school libraries in fostering digital citizenship in Egypt

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate patterns in the implementation of digital citizenship practices by librarians at the school level and how demographic, professional, and institutional factors influenced their implementation levels. To this end, an online survey was conducted to collect data using structured questionnaires from 156 librarians in Dakhalia governorate, Egypt. The results demonstrated that 48.7% of librarians had undertaken digital citizenship activities within the last 5 years. Only 47.4% of librarians had a high level of perception concerning the vitality of digital citizenship promotion for school students. Additionally, the findings revealed a disproportionate emphasis across the nine components of digital citizenship, characterized by a heightened focus on etiquette, law, and safety, and a lower focus on access, communication, and digital commerce. Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests illustrated significant differences in librarians’ implementation of digital citizenship practices based on gender, type of school, access to technological resources, age, work experience, education, level of digital skills, and perception levels. The findings yield pivotal implications for policymaking, professional development, investment in school library infrastructure, digital citizenship integration into curricula, and national education policies, intended to bolster the vital role of school libraries as a critical entry point for supporting digital citizenship education initiatives.