This month, we chatted with Irondequoit Public Library (IPL) Director, Greg Benoit, to discuss our partnership in the Digital Literacy (DL) program.
About the Library and Beginning of Partnership
The DL program and IPL began their partnership in July 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic started to settle down. It was a perfect opportunity as both organizations wanted to help the community with digital literacy skills; so naturally goals aligned.
IPL has a rich history in the community, starting operations in 1947. Their most current building though will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this September! The library space is the 2nd largest suburban library with seven rooms on the 2nd floor and three on the 1st floor. With all that space, there were over 9,000 uses for the community rooms last year from support groups, tutoring, workshops, and of course computer help.
Today, the partnership continues to flourish, and IPL is one of the most popular site locations in the DL program. Every week there are three different occasions for drop-in computer help at varied times. Often, community members hear about the DL program through the library’s events calendar, handouts, and flyers. On occasion, library staff will inform and guide customers over to the DL volunteer when more attention is required.
Why Digital Literacy and Libraries are Important
With technology being more integrated in everyday life, some people have felt disconnected from friends and family as we shift towards a parasocial reality. Traditionally, third spaces such as parks, cafes, and especially libraries served as meeting places to interact and connect. Greg mentioned that interactive and interesting programs help to build relationships for everyone. Even when visiting for computer help, patrons are still gaining those valuable connections. For example, often there are patrons who will return to a DL volunteer because of the positive experience they had and conversations that expanded beyond the initial request.
Common Digital Literacy Topics
We also discussed some digital topics that have become more prevalent in everyday conversations and important for community members to be aware of.
- Scams/fraud/phishing
One of the most discussed digital topics recently has been online scams. Greg noted that scams have become extremely sophisticated and uniquely tailored to the intended target. Scammers are now doing anything they can to gather personal information through social media, emails, and more. Therefore, community awareness efforts such as workshops and programs are being scheduled more frequently to teach and inform patrons. DL volunteers have also been a great resource for addressing individual questions and concerns about scams.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Another trending and controversial topic of discussion is AI. More and more individuals have been wanting to be informed about AI, whether to use it in their own life, how it can potentially impact jobs, or the level of security of private information. Again, scams have become more sophisticated and have even integrated AI to create deep fakes or compelling stories. IPL and the DL program are open to having conversations with patrons about AI and informing the public.
- The Basics
Many basic digital tasks are often taken for granted, but at one point or another, we all had to learn from the beginning. Some foundational skills such as using websites, sending emails, searching for jobs, or building a resume need to be established first before completing more complicated operations. Because our world has become so reliant on technology, it’s not uncommon to believe that everyone already has those foundational digital skills. So, breaking the stigma and helping community members to build basic skills is important.
An interesting note that Greg commented on is the trend that younger folks, in high school and early college, tend to know about sophisticated features, but lack the basics. These basics tend to include typing, word formatting, and other tasks traditionally used in professional settings. This could be a potential digital challenge that will be more prevalent in the coming years.
Stats about IPL & DL
During the 2024-2025 program year specifically at the IPL library.
- Volunteers spent 368 hours helping customers.
- A total of 216 customers were helped
- Top three tasks
- Learning basic computer skills
- Device management assistance
- Learning new smartphone/tablet/iPad skills
Visit a Volunteer!
You can find a volunteer at the IPL on Mondays from 10am-1pm; Wednesdays from 5:30-8:30pm; and Saturdays from 10am-12:30pm. These times are all drop-in, so no appointment is necessary.
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