When I asked Jennie what she thought was
unique about the Cotuit Library, she sated without hesitation, their tutoring
and technology classes. Jennie and her staff reach out every Tuesday and Thursday to their patrons. You can make an appointment or just bring in
any device you wish to have help with learning. Sure, they get plenty of
tablets, phone and laptop questions, what library doesn't? But does your
library actually make the time to sit with a patron one-on-one and work through
ANY technology issue? Her's does. One gentleman brought his
wireless printer to them because he could not get it to work at home.
They helped him configure and troubleshoot the printer. Any issues, any
device. If they can't help you themselves, they will find someone who
can.
Jennie poses the question in her approach
to teaching her community this way; "How do we live in a digital
world?" Whether it's providing equipment or lessons, Jennie wants
her patrons to have the tools and understanding to connect and make it in a digital world.
So what happens when a grandmother reaches out to the library because she is unable to
visit with her granddaughter, and her granddaughter doesn't want to talk on the
phone? Jennie resolves this by holding a class on Skyping at the Senior
Center or creating a "Facebook for Grandparents" workshop.
Whatever the question, you won't hear Jennie's staff saying "I'm
sorry, I can't help you with that."
What works, what doesn't - any final wishes?
Nothing in Cotuit Library has an out of order sign on it, nor was anything we discussed "in repair" other than a few donated telescopes that needed calibration. She has most of her known technology issues addressed in her Gateway II plan. Short of having enough expansion space for all the groovy items on her wish list, she utilizes the space very efficiently. The only suggestion to her was the public computers and concern for more protection. She stated the staff does regular updates and "wipes" the computers fairly regularly. They've had no major issues so far, so it works for them. In a final note I asked her if cost was not an issue, what technology would she want to have offered at Cotuit Library. She said a 3D printer and a small press to publish local artists (there is one in Provincetown, Mass.) She wants to be the first Cape librarian to have a 3D printer to offer. Secret - she will be. The 3D printer is almost a done deal. It won't be a large one - no bigger than a breadbox - and will cost around $3,000. She has sponsors for the project, but I asked for no other details. Rock on Jennie!
Almost Forgotten
Social Media: There was so much information that I forgot to mention social media! I don't know how, since Jennie and I talked about the Mobile App more than once throughout our interview.
Cotuit Library is equipped with social media buttons. They have a Facebook, Twitter, tumblr, Reddit, Google+ and a Blog . Jennie believes these items are critical in today's library. She pays around $60 per YEAR to advertise on Facebook. Social media can (and did at their library) mean the difference between expecting 25-30 people at a summer outdoor movie event and getting 350! Yes, that was not a type-o! The challenge is that it can be time-consuming. Filtering out and selecting who to send the invites to for what events is what takes the time, but she feels as a private library who relies on fundraising to meet her operating budget, it is worth keeping it up to date. Social media gets the word out quickly, inexpensively and brings in new patrons - period.
Cost of Technology: Approximately 1/3 of Jennie's library budget is spent on technology, databases, CDs and DVDs. Although she did say that they have a separate line item for capital technology expense.
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