This is a topic that was true to my heart as I feel very strongly that the digital divide is expanding. I remember a few years ago when Medicare Plan D came into being and seniors were told that all of the information was online. It was hard to help these patrons effectively.
This talk consisted of a librarian from the Evanston, Illinois, Lesley Williams as well as two employees from a product called Generations Online, an online training program for seniors. The price for libraries to partake in this program is $350 lifetime and includes opportunities for seniors to get e-mail addresses. The product is non-profit, although those who use it can only check their e-mail accounts at locations that subscribe to the service.
Evanston, Illinois has mixed income and education levels and there was definitely a digital divide. Classes for seniors at the library include mouse training, e-mail, introduction to the Internet, and practice drop ins on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The drop ins are designed for former class members to get one on one help on the computers, so that they don't take up spots in the class from new members. Lesley was able to recruit volunteers to help with these sessions by placing ads on free volunteer matching services. She also touted an online mouse tutorial for the mouse class from the Palm Beach County Library which she said was excellent.
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