Surprising Answers on the Library Impact Survey

I was in Madison this past Wednesday on a panel with two other librarians talking about "Evaluation and Assessment of Services." My topic was two tools developed for public librarians, and although I found out at the end that there was only one of our species in the audience, there was a lot of head bobbing and note taking, which makes me think that there's something of value both in the Library Impact Survey and the Library Edge Assessment, no matter who you serve.
My favorite slides were those that revealed shocking responses. I had been working with the stereotypical image of our computer users. That image was one of a person with low income and low skills with nowhere else to turn. They're on Facebook, I told myself, checking the disappointment in my mental tone. They're on YouTube.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Of the ~650 responses we received from the public about our library technology, 92% reported they had access to computers elsewhere. Only 18% reported an income that equated with the survey's definition of "low income." They were looking for health information, applying for jobs, building resumes, and they even got jobs because of the work they did at the library! "We are changing the world!" I cried.
But why here? Why at our libraries when they have access elsewhere? The answer was the most gratifying discovery of all. Because of the 92% who reported they had access elsewhere, a full 54% responded they had received HELP with computers while at the library.
Old librarians like me have been talking about the digital divide for ages, that division between the technology haves and have-nots. We wonder how the ubiquitous smart phone is changing the playing field. These days, a person of low income is very likely to have a smart phone, and if there is only one computer-like device in the household, that's what it is- the phone. Libraries in the Cleveland area have responded by enabling downloads of ebooks directly onto smart phones at the library. Virtually every library offers a mobile app. We might conclude that since the penetration of the smart phone into the low income market, people's technology skills have improved. Probably. But you know as well as I do that the target is moving. What you know today isn't all you need to know next year.
Our lasting impact on bridging the digital divide is digital literacy training. If 54% of our computer users seek help with a PC, think about the needs to understand all the new devices flooding our world. They already have a relationship with us that tells them they can ask us for help. Ask any of our reference staff what kinds of questions they get and the majority will tell you technology ranks high. How do I use my ereader? How do I scan and fax and attach a file to an email? What's Google Drive? How do I get my pictures off my phone and into my tablet? My daughter said use something called Skype? so I can see my grandchild over the phone? And of course those pressing, life changing questions, how do I apply for a job online, how do I apply for social services online, how do I email my son's teacher so I know how he's doing in school?
If you watched Jennifer Schlie-Reed's video about her work with students in Kenosha Public Schools teaching them digital literacy skills, you were probably a little humbled. I'm sure that the average third grader can leave me in the dust when using an iPad. In this business, we have to stay on top of technology because information is our business and technology is the way information is delivered.
Our Strategic Plan calls for us to lead the community in all things digital- lead them and teach them, introduce them to what's here, help them transition where they need to or want to go.
I believe that major services don't get done if they are an add-on job responsibility. I know that allowing talented people to focus on important projects yields big results. So, Joe Davies, our Digital Services Librarian, has moved into Computer and Network Services where he will work collaboratively with Max and Brent. Joe will lead our digital initiatives by designing and delivering training for both patrons and staff on all things digital. He will coordinate a wonderful new website for the library. He will work with Max and Brent to recommend exactly how to replace our aging technology, what to retain and what to discard.
Joe's invitation to attend Google Training is important. It is critical that we teach our community the apps they need to be productive at work and at home. Before we can teach them, we need to teach ourselves. Google's innovative team is the team we want to be on. They are driving the future. I hope you will join us and shed any fear of this new tech language. Google Apps will be a learning curve for all of us, but it will teach us to think in new ways and expand the ways we can work with each other to do great things for our community.
See you at the training.
Barb