Anne‘Any new system has to be as self-service as possible; we can’t have staff pulled away from helping other patrons’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Serve as many patrons as possible

• Balance time spent troubleshooting to with well-placed referrals to classes

• Balance the time and space taken up by computers with everything else the library provides

• Have enough access so people don’t get booted off after an hour

• Guide them through sign-up process or help with printing and hardware issues

• Be inclusive of all uses of the computer and all cultures and languages.

• Thinks practically and realistically

• Accepts all patrons

• Refers patrons with training needs

• Take on more technology we can realistically maintain

• Divert space/money/staff from books and other resources

Librarian

Kayla‘My clients need access to computers and wi-fi on a daily basis and I don’t always know the best place to refer them’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Make a good referral to their client

• Be prepared to address questions about hours of service and what resources are available

• Respond quickly and don’t let their client down

• Provide up-to-date & accurate information on what is available

• Have an easy-to-use site with reliably quick results

• Make qualifications or limitations very clear

• Works quickly and efficiently

• Knows their clients’ backgrounds and special needs well

• Give false information

• Require specialized searching skills or jargon to use the search

Social Worker

Daniel‘When people call up I need to make a quick and accurate referral’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Make a good referral to their caller

• Be prepared to address questions about hours of service and what resources are available

• Respond quickly and don’t let their caller down

• Provide up-to-date & accurate information on what is available

• Have an easy-to-use site with reliably quick results

• Make qualifications or limitations very clear

• Works quickly and efficiently

• Must make inquiries about the callers’ backgrounds and special needs

• Give false information

• Require specialized searching skills or jargon to use the search

211 Agent

Rob‘When I’m out talking to people in the community I get a lot of questions about computer or wi-fi access

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Leave behind printed materials on computer and wi-fi access points

• Spread the word about community resources

• Ensure his materials are accurate and up-to-date

• Provide up-to-date & accurate information on what is available

• Allow for the quick compilation and printing out of resources in a variety of languages

• Make qualifications or limitations very clear

• Understands his community and their needs on a deep level

• Grows frustrated with the lack of usable resources to help them

• Give false information

• Require specialized searching skills or jargon to use the search

Community Activist

William‘On the weekends I manage my personal finances and pay bills online, but I don’t have a computer at home’

Key goals We must

We must not

Behaviours

• Get information and make financial transactions at a comfortable pace

• Keep up-to-date on news and financial trends

• Check email and social network feeds

• Provide ample access so I don’t have to be logged out after 1 hour

• Provide adequate hours in the evenings and on weekends when I’m not at work

• Provide privacy and security for viewing sensitive information

• Drives to the library from home or stops on his way home from work

• Worries about the security of the library’s network

• Keeps focused on his task so he can move onto more enjoyable things

• Limit usage by time period

• Close for an extended period of time for renovation

Bank Teller

Arnold‘I use my laptop to keep connected to friends and family, but wi-fi isn’t in my budget’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Check email and social networks

• View and print messages and event details

• View video and photos from family

• Apply for services such as Medicare Part-D online

• Provide easy-to-access wi-fi

• Provide adequate hours during the day before I get busy with activities

• Provide ability to watch videos with the volume on

• Walks to the library first thing in the morning

• Savours his computer time and the chance to feel connected to people who are far away

• Always goes to the same library and sits in the same place

• Charge or add any other barriers to wi-fi access

• Close for an extended period of time for renovation

Retiree

Esme‘I’ve been looking for work for 6 months. Every employer requires an online job application nowadays’

Key goals We must

We must not

Behaviours

• Search for jobs and research companies in the area

• Apply for jobs

• Check email and print job interview details and directions to the interview

• Provide troubleshooting support for when search engines or application forms aren’t working correctly

• Provide guides to job search and research in Spanish

• Be on a public transit line and open convenient hours

• Rides the bus to the unemployment center three times a week

• Spends a lot of time searching and applying, is very conscientious and serious about finding work

• Doesn’t like to ask for help unless she is really stuck

• Charge for printing, training, or help

• Limit usage by time

• Allow other users to be playing videos at high volume or using computer in other distracting ways

Job Seeker

Nimco‘I’m new to this country and I don’t have any idea how to find a computer I could use or how to use one’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Find public access computers with trainers or help on-hand

• Connect with people back home and with new friends via email

• Research programs and community resources

• Provide introductory training and help along the way in Somali

• Provide information on what’s available via print or dumb phone

• Be reliable and trustworthy

• Does not have any familiarity with the concept of a free library

• Distrusts government agencies and is overwhelmed by their complexity

• Doesn’t really know what the internet could do for her

• Charge for training, or help

• Speak English Only

Mother

Janae‘Most of the time I have access, but every once in awhile something comes up and then I feel lost and disconnected’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Find public access computers nearby on the rare occasions she needs one

• Write papers, do research

• Connect with friends via social media

• Provide lightweight mobile site she can load on her smartphone

• Provide walking or biking directions

• Provide information on what software is available at each location

• Very technologically savvy

• Not familiar with common social support and referral services like 211 or 311

• Under tremendous pressure with multiple deadlines

• Limit usage to internet only

• Limit hours to 8-4 M-F

Online Student

Harriet‘I know a digital divide exists, I’m just not sure what I can do about it personally’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Understand the circumstances that contribute to the digital divide

• Feel empowered to do something and connected to those they’ve helped

• Donate time or hardware

• Provide information about the safety and worthwhileness of donating

• Provide stories of those helped by digital divide programs

• Be open convenient hours and willing to recycle what we can’t use

• Reads newspapers and blog posts on the digital divide

• Is concerned about how her donated technology might be used

• Expect her to be involved for extended periods of time

• Appear ungrateful or unsure of if we can use her help

Attorney

Cho‘We have these laptops and free wi-fi and I wish more people knew about them, they’re rarely used’

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Publicize his businesses resources

• Feel like he is helping his community

• Find volunteers to help with training, troubleshooting, and maintenance

• Provide a very easy to fill out form

• Provide an easy way to search for people interested in volunteering their time

• Talks with people in the community every day and knows how they feel

• Wants to contribute and help others get a leg up

• Make the barrier to posting too high

• Make it hard to understand how the information will be accessed by others

Barista

Anne, Librarian‘We just renovated and I need to update our listing to reflect our new resources’

Kayla, Social Worker‘Monica called this morning and said the shelter worker told her a rental unit is available but she has to apply today’

Daniel, 211 Agent‘Armando is looking for free wi-fi and he needs it right away. He has his own laptop but might need help getting online’

Rob, Community Activist‘Headed into the Phillips Neighborhood today. I’ll need flyers in Somali and I should include introductory classes’

William, Bank Teller‘Seems like I never get more than an hour on the library computer when I go after work. I wonder if there’s somewhere else with better availability’

Arnold, Retiree‘Some of the guys at the VFW were talking about this oral history project they’re doing, but I don’t know how to use my webcam or microphone’

Esme, Job Seeker‘Getting to the Unemployment Office everyday is exhausting, I wish there was some way to get my own laptop or someplace close by to just check email’

Nimco, Mother‘I’m sure that there are things I could do more easily with computer access, but using government agencies is always so complicated, and I doubt it’s really free’

Janae, Online Student‘My car and laptop were stolen last night. I have two term papers due on Friday and no idea where to find a computer where I can do research and write’

Harriet, Attorney‘We upgrade our tablets and laptops at home about every two years and every three years at work. That’s a lot of good, working hardware just going to waste’

Cho, Barista

‘A few of our “regulars” have donated laptops in the last few months, but nobody knows that they’re here’