Community Connections: Phillis Wheatley Community Library
This month we spoke with Phillis Wheatley Community Library (PWCL) Branch Manager, Lori, about our partnership in the Digital Literacy (DL) program.
Beginning of Partnership
Next year marks the 10th anniversary of a partnership that’s helped shape brighter futures, build digital confidence, and foster community connections. Since 2016, our DL volunteers have been a part of the PWCL mission to serve, support, and uplift Rochester residents.
The library is named after Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet. The library originally opened as the Genesee Branch in 1913, but after a remodel from James H. Johnson – same architect as the mushroom house in Pittsford – the library was renamed to honor Wheatley.
Lori recalls that even before the formal partnership began, the library has always devoted itself to serving the community. The partnership with the DL program encouraged even more community-focused programing and further prioritizing the library’s goal of helping people.
Why Digital Literacy & Libraries Are Important
One of the biggest impacts of our DL partnership is the one-on-one support volunteers provide to patrons. Specifically, many seniors, job seekers, or newcomers to the country visit for tech help where the assistance is always friendly, patient, and judgment-free. The result? Now, community members visit the volunteers not only for tech help, but to build meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging. In some cases, it’s about learning how to use technology to stay connected with friends and family, while for others, it’s about starting a resume from scratch. Often, patrons will return to share their successes after visiting a volunteer, many proud to receive a job offer or connect with loved ones.
For instance, a woman visited the library for help navigating the immigration website to find and complete forms, so her husband could also come to the United States. After several months of working with a DL volunteer and submitting proper forms, her husband was able to come to the U.S. as well! When he arrived and got settled in, he visited the library to be introduced to the volunteer who helped his wife and asked for help crafting a resume. With a freshly written resume in hand, he was able to secure a job!
While the demand for tech help is constant, the questions and digital opportunities evolve over time. Some areas of digital opportunities that were discussed include learning how to ethically use Artificial Intelligence, locating reliable new sources, and relying on libraries for free digital products and entertainment. However, a major topic of concern is cybersecurity scams as more individuals are being targeted by spam phone calls, emails, and text messages. Being able to discern scams is getting trickier as scams grow ever more complex and intricate. With that being said though, volunteers are able to help!
Stats about PWCL & DL
During the 2024-2025 program year specifically at the PWCL.
- Volunteer hours – 135 hours
- # of customers helped – 52 individuals
- Top three tasks completed
- Applied for jobs/submitted resumes
- Create or update resumes
- Create, edit, or save a document or file
What’s Next?
This fall, the DL program will host three workshops, Resumes Basics, Internet Basics, and Computer Basics at the library in October and November. Currently, drop-in computer help is unavailable at this location but will be up and running again soon. Patrons can also visit a DL volunteer at other Rochester Public Library locations. For all site locations visit the webpage HERE
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