As part of our on-going commitment to promoting digital literacy efforts in libraries across the state of Texas, TSLAC’s Library Digital Opportunity team goes to libraries and films interviews with librarians and staff to document their work in the community. We recently visited libraries in La Grange and Houston to see how they are helping close the digital divide.
I’m relatively new to the library world. I just joined TSLAC last March. What I’ve learned about the digital divide is that it is very real and very complicated. It’s not just about providing the devices and the internet accessibility either. The people that need digital literacy skills to keep up with the modern world are extremely diverse and they all require a different approach.
In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve traveled all over the state, visiting libraries in rural communities, small towns, and big urban centers and one thing has become clear: Libraries are really on the front line of this digital opportunity issue.
They know their communities. They know what the patrons in those communities need. They do the outreach. They provide one-on-one training. In some rural communities, the library is often the only access point for reliable internet and the only trusted source to get help with their devices and digital skills.
But that isn’t enough. They lack capacity. They lack funding. They lack resources. I’ve never seen a group of people do so much with so little, and be so important to a mission, and yet they are falling behind. We can’t close this gap without a concerted effort from everyone.
Fayette Public Library, Museum, and Archives – La Grange
When we visited La Grange, we had a very specific topic about how the Fayette Public Library, Museum, and Archives is tackling digital literacy – Seniors!
Founded in 1850, La Grange, Texas, is a small, historic town with a population under 5,000, nestled in the rolling hills of Central Texas. Known for its rich German and Czech heritage, La Grange offers a glimpse into Texas history with landmarks like the Fayette County Courthouse and Kreische Brewery.
The library has several public computers for the public to use and seniors are especially drawn to the museum and archives. That space, on the second floor of the library, provides an opportunity for retirees and seniors to use interactive devices to enhance their digital skills as they explore the town’s history and their family genealogy.
Allison Hollek, the Fayette Library Director, said, “For a lot of seniors, one of the biggest issues is access. We have devices here they can use, and we have reliable internet. When our community is more digitally prepared to access information and do the things they need to do, it makes the community as a whole healthier. Our role is to make seniors more confident around technology.”
The library offers digital literacy classes on Saturdays and is open to the entire community. Greg Walker, the library’s digital navigator, teaches the classes. Greg retired to La Grange and has an extensive background in computers.
“I came to the library as a volunteer, and I knew they had computer classes. There’s no other place in town to go for I.T. help. You have to pay a lot of money to have someone look at your computer or help you fix something. I provide my expertise to help out the community. I’m here as a resource. I think this work adds value to the community because there is nobody else doing it,” Walker said.
In terms of his teaching philosophy, Greg adopts a one-on-one approach. “I didn’t really want to have formal classes because I want them to tell me what they want to know. I have an open class and I go around the table and help them individually to solve their problems. After a while, they’ll even be helping each other.”
Houston Public Library – Houston
On the other end of the population spectrum, Houston is the fourth biggest in the United States with a population over 7,000,000 in the greater metro area. The Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) covers 9,444 square miles. That’s larger than five states, including New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island.
With such a vast, widespread area, community outreach is a huge priority for the Houston Public Library so that is what we focused on for this video.
Houston Public Library’s Community Engagement & Education Team (CEET) is housed at Gragg Park, in a previous NASA building. It seems only natural that the building where engineers and astronauts planned the Mercury missions now houses a team that plans community outreach events to bring Houston into the digital age.
They are located in the Parks and Recreation Department’s administration building, sharing space with the department and utilizing a large parking lot for their vehicles. Among their fleet are two sprinter vans affectionately named “Gadget” and “Gizmo,” which serve as bookmobiles and mobile gaming stations. However, our focus was on the “Mobile Express,” a full-sized RV with capacity for up to 24 workstations with laptops. The RV can be configured for various uses, but we were particularly interested in its role as a digital literacy lab.
We interviewed Rachel Stout, Senior Trainer with the HPL Community Engagement and Education Team, and she talked about the origins of the Mobile Express after they retired their old bus. She was there from the very beginning. “We were able to raise the money with the HPL Foundation and some major donors. I had the opportunity to participate in the design and build process. I went to the Wisconsin facility, and we went over every facet of the design. One of the really important things about this vehicle was that we needed a flexible space. The old one was great for computer classes but that was about it. We needed to do STEM education and other projects that needed a space that could be turned into many different things like storytime, digital literacy, LEGO classes, 3D printing and so much more.”
Rachel also talked about why this vehicle is so important to their success. “Houston is a very large city. We have almost 40 library locations, but even with that many, there are people that can’t get to us, so us taking this vehicle into the community where people are breaks down a lot of barriers people may have to receive library services.”
We also spoke with the Senior Community Liaison for CEET, Cecilia Pham. She talked about why this project is so personal to her. “I come from an immigrant community and family. My parents are first generation. For me, having access to things that are there for the community for free and letting the community know about it is very important. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the world and a lot of immigrants don’t know about free services the city offers. Some of the best free resources are from the Houston Public Library. These vehicles are a way for us to get those resources out into the community.”
The digital literacy spotlight videos on La Grange and Houston will soon be available on TSLAC’s YouTube channel. You can also see previous videos on the channel, featuring libraries across the state of Texas and their digital literacy efforts.
