(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories about the Forest Park Public Library’s digital inclusion efforts. The series is underwritten by a grant from the Cook County Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants program. The grant is a shared effort between Wright to Learn, the library and Growing Community Media, publisher of the Forest Park Review.)
Even though technology has become a necessity for everything from education to banking, people still lack the skills, resources, or both, to confidently navigate through everyday life – making digital equity more important than ever before.
Forest Park Public Library continues to work towards decreasing this digital divide and making technology available and understandable to those who need it most. It does this by offering computer and device access to all comers, organizing one-on-one tech appointments and supporting monthly Tech Empowerment programs for older adults.
The latest addition to their outreach is a series of hands-on digital resilience workshops. These two six-week courses, led by instructor Xandi Wright, will include about 12 participants in each and cover topics such as password management, digital storage, online safety and more. Additionally, each participant will receive guidance for configuring their new laptop, supplied by PCs for People.
Contact the library directly for more information on opportunities to improve your knowledge and access to technology and the digital world.
Wright wants to create a safe space for attendees to discuss their feelings about technology use. During the first few sessions, many expressed no longer wanting to feel overwhelmed by modern technology.
“The way that we feel about what we’re learning impacts our ability to learn,” said Wright. “If you are in a stressed out, panicked, frustrated state, how well are you internalizing new processes?”
Barb Etchingham, a retired librarian, joined the first cohort hoping to feel more independent and learn how to find IT support.
“It’s the vulnerability,” said Etchingham. “Who do I ask? Do I have to get the Geek Squad in? Do I come to a class like this? Where? Where do I look now? I want to have confidence that I can wait longer before I have to ask for help. That I have a toolbox.”
Etchingham believes digital skills can also help people stay informed and recognize misinformation online.
“I’ve gotten fact-checked on Facebook,” said Etchingham. “So I have to find out why that happened to me. If I’m going to have a presence in the digital world, then I want to have a more intelligent one.”
Another workshop attendee and part-time desk assistant at Forest Park Public Library, Marie Weinbrecht, said she and her husband were initially hesitant to keep up with technology. But after seeing the benefits of having digital devices at their fingertips, they began to seek out opportunities to educate themselves.
“I think you get in a pattern when you’re older,” said Weinbrecht. “I think you truly don’t want to learn as much as when you’re younger. I’ve come to the conclusion in the last couple of years that you should never stop learning.”
Weinbrecht is excited about learning in a collaborative environment and encourages others to do the same.
“You can’t be afraid to fail and make a fool of yourself,” said Weinbrecht.
Kathleen Ogundipe, a long-time English teacher, did not use computers for most of her career. Now, working as a substitute, she says everything is done digitally. She took the course to learn more about tech terminology and device communication.
“What’s the difference between Bluetooth and WiFi?” said Ogundipe. “How dangerous is it when you don’t set the phone password on your phone to get into it? How to get the screen on the phone to open up long enough so you can actually use them? I just have a lot of technological gaps.”
At the beginning of the course, many participants felt similar to Ogundipe. Some attendees felt there were gaps in their knowledge after leaving the work world and others said their high schools failed to prepare them for continuing education.
“I want to feel empowered and computer smart,” said Ogundipe. “Smart enough to be able to help other people.”
Defining digital equity
● The National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) defines digital equity as “a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy and economy. Digital equity is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, lifelong learning, and access to essential services.”
● The NDIA defines the digital divide as “the gap between those who have affordable access, skills, and support to effectively engage online and those who do not. As technology constantly evolves, the digital divide prevents equal participation and opportunity in all parts of life, disproportionately affecting people of color, Indigenous peoples, households with low incomes, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, and older adults.”
● Tools like Cook County’s Digital Equity Map can be used to help identify disparities to inform policy, advocacy and resource allocation. The Map gives Forest Park a Digital Equity Score of 49/100, revealing that one-fourth of the community lack access to broadband internet and more than one-fifth of households are still without computers.
