"Gizmo Garage: Closing the Digital Divide One Device at a Time"

Presented by Jezmynne Dene, Portneuf District Library

Dene's is a small, rural library where most patrons do not have computers or the Internet, and the library's Internet is extremely slow.  Her library had a lack of identity when she started 5 years ago, as compared to the other two area libraries: Idaho State University and another, traditional public library. They decided to change to "break the rules" and redefine services.

One new resource they used were four Gizmo Garages paid for by a grant and belonging to the state of Idaho. Each Gizmo Garage was used in a different part of the state and featured 15=20 devices such as eReaders, tablets, scanners, and mini-projectors.

Initially they checked out devices to staff for a few weeks, to take home and treat as a personal device. Staff were expected to link to library materials and return the devices with a report of the pros and cons of that device.  This increased the familiarity and confidence of staff with the devices.
Next they provided patron training, from which they learned and shared a number of lessons. "On the fly", user-driven group sessions and one-on-one training were found to work better than a structured curriculum.  They created groups such as Silver Surfers, a discussion group where patrons could bring their devices and talk or ask questions, and Lunch Time Bytes, similar discussions over lunch.  They will try teaching 45-minute classes at local businesses.

One interesting idea is that they give out a bookmark to patrons that has a list of local places with free Wi-Fi.

One concern we might consider: do we have liability if we provide hands-on help to patrons for their devices (for example, responsibility for resulting problems affecting financial data?)  They are considering having patrons sign a waiver for assistant in order to protect staff.

They also partnered with Wal-Mart and Staples to have the vendors show devices and answer questions in a petting zoo format, with library staff talking about the services they provide.

The library currently owns iPads and Android devices that they circulate.