Nacogdoches is known as “the oldest town in Texas.” From the Caddo Indians who inhabited the area before the Spanish arrived, to the firing of the opening salvos of the Texas Revolution in 1832, Nacogdoches has a deep and storied history. But as much pride the town has in its past, one librarian is focused on the future.
The Library Manager of the Judy B. McDonald Public Library, Mercedes Franks, is bringing a new program to the community that will boost digital literacy for a critical demographic: seniors. The library was one of two recipients of the 2025 Special Projects Grant from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC).
The program is called “Armchair Explorations,” and it offers a chance for patrons to use virtual reality headsets to explore settings and situations they might not otherwise have the chance to experience. The Library Digital Opportunity Team (LDO) chatted with Mercedes recently about the exciting program and her take on digital literacy.
LDO: What is your background with technology/digital literacy?
Mercedes Franks: When I first came to Nacogdoches I was tapped to teach computer classes. I had done it in Oklahoma for the Spanish speaking community. That was a very robust program in the early 2000s for English speakers. So, I did one for Spanish speakers. We had just gotten a program in Nacogdoches as part of Katrina recovery. Part of that grant was to get equipment and teach computer classes. It has evolved over the years.
LDO: What was the genesis of the Armchair Explorations idea?
Mercedes Franks: Our former librarian, Crystal Hicks, wrote the grant application. She’s now moved on to Washington State, and I took over. Crystal was very innovative and always looking for ways to bring tech and new ideas into the library. She was very into virtual reality; she had an idea, and we tossed it around. We wanted to bring virtual reality sets to the community. The idea was to give seniors a chance for an adventure. Skydiving… go to Italy, see places and do things they might no longer be able to in their advanced age.
“My digital literacy role in the library is to provide access and remove barriers.” – Mercedes Franks, Director, Judy P. MacDonald Library
LDO: What problem is it solving?
Mercedes Franks: Seniors are a demographic that is often overlooked in terms of technology. With more dependence on digital platforms for communication and information, seniors face isolation and exclusion due to their limited technology adoption. This program aims to bridge this gap. Technological literacy is essential for overall well-being and social integration. Armchair Explorations deals with the isolation often experienced by seniors. It’s meant to promote mental stimulation and well-being. By taking the tech directly to community centers, senior residences, and other facilities frequented by seniors, we make it more accessible.
Another component to the program is our tech petting zoo. Some of our patrons have no idea what a hotspot or a router is. They tell us, “My kid’s gave me a smartphone, they turned it on and then left and I don’t know how to use it.” The petting zoo is designed to educate seniors and others to give their digital literacy knowledge a boost. We’re also going to offer “Techo Tuesdays” (a take on Taco Tuesdays if you couldn’t figure it out) with one of our current staff-members who is a former computer science professor, offering instruction and assistance. This will be a once-a-month, on-site event. Giving patrons hands-on access to devices is so important.
LDO: How did you identify your audience?
Mercedes Franks: We noticed that, many times, seniors were needing assistance with smartphones or things like online forms. Older people that didn’t grow up with this tech or they didn’t have a vast social network. Crystal got involved with the community and was talking about these issues with someone who had older parents. That’s when we came up with the idea to do something unique in senior centers.
We wrote the grant application targeting seniors but so many other people can use this. We will use virtual reality at our Wednesday citizenship class. Part of the citizenship exam is talking about and identifying national landmarks. It would be great to show them the Lincoln Memorial or the Mississippi river. Visiting those places virtually just makes it more meaningful. It’s an experience they remember, and it helps them on the test.
LDO: How will you do marketing and outreach for this program?
Mercedes Franks: We will use social media. We have mailchimp and an E-newsletter. We are pretty active on Facebook and Instagram and have used traditional local news releases in the past. Word of mouth is a big part of it too. We’ll reach out to people who aren’t active partners but will help us promote. If the Nacogdoches Economic Development Association is having a job fair, we’ll be there to have a “type my resume” day. It’s all part of our community outreach.
We also frequently go to the local farmer’s market to do outreach and have a booth at the fall event or the Spring fling, sometimes a booth on a Saturday, once every season. The Friends of the Library President is also the head of the farmer’s market so that helps.
LDO: How do you support digital literacy in your community?
Mercedes Franks: My digital literacy role in the library is to provide access and remove barriers. If somebody is traveling or experiencing homelessness, they need to be able to use computers. They might need to print something or whatever. Our goal is to have up-to-date tech to offer our patrons. We need to be a resource. It’s stressful if you need a document or information and you have no way to access it. On a daily basis we get people coming in from computer assistance, needing help printing something or filling out an online form or application.
LDO: What support do you anticipate needing from TSLAC/LDO or other groups?
Mercedes Franks: I could see us having some capacity issues but that’s a good problem to have. That means people are rushing to us to try this new program. We do reach out to local partners. We dip into the wealth of our staff knowledge, and we get some help from the community. We work a lot with the high-school, and students love helping out. One thing we are looking to do is to see if we can find a way to offer more mobile assistance.
We like being at the forefront of the conversation with things like broadband. We have a lot of good advice and input to give to policymakers. With our own local councils of government, it’s a little bit inactive. They are supportive but you can always use more support.
LDO: How do you see technology fitting into the library moving forward into the future?
Mercedes Franks: I like to look at what other libraries are doing. I get so much inspiration to see what they are up to. Literacy is their focus in all formats, technology or print.
I think what’s interesting is that over the years we have noticed traditional computer classes are not well attended anymore. The smartphone has taken over. It’s not that they don’t need computers but they can do much more on a smartphone. But there are times they need to do a resume or do something online. And without that technical skill, these are still barriers.
I’m just really excited about the future. When Crystal left she did a wonderful job with laying out the application. I got inspired by what she had written and was appreciative of her research and good ideas. I can’t wait to roll the program out. It’s going to be a great opportunity for the community.
On the other side of Texas, Brownsville Public Library is also pursuing virtual reality programming for their patrons. They’ve started hosting Texas Workforce Virtual Reality events for folks to use VR to visualize and explore potential careers such as firefighting and STEAM jobs. Want to learn more? On October 31 from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m., the Innovation and Technology Round Table (ITRT) of the Texas Library Association (TLA) is hosting a free half-hour Zoom “Tech Chat” to hear from Brownsville Public Library staff about it. Register here!
If you would like to learn more about TSLAC grants, visit our website. To find out how Texas libraries are changing the digital literacy landscape and closing the digital device, subscribe to the LDO newsletter.
