I worked a short stint as a CyberNavigator at Chicago Public Library (CPL) and it was a rewarding and eye-opening experience. I applied for the position because I enjoy training people on software programs and it made me a better person, personally and professionally.
- My fellow CyberNavigators and our coordinator were SUPER supportive. We communicated challenges, good news and resources via Slack. Things were easier with support.
- CPL has ChiDigiLearn to help people learn about computers. They need an email address to access the tutorials.
- The library offers many services that people do not know about. Patrons can check out books, movies and CDs. They offer study meeting rooms of all sizes. Some locations have tax forms and offer tax services for community members. You can also download eBooks and audio books.
- Patrons can sign-up for one-on-one tutoring with a CyberNavigator. I had two faithful patrons who were with me when I started and were with me until my last day.
- CPL has many job search resources including GotResumeBuilder, which you can access from the library’s site. Also, some libraries have binders with job resources in them.
- The digital divide is real. I thought mobile was bridging this gap but it isn’t. There are a lot of people who are are not familiar with technology.
- Do not assume. I thought I would be helping mostly baby boomers since they didn’t grow up with computers. Not so. I have helped several Millennials and Gen-Xers that had no computer skills. One day a boomer mom and millennial daughter team came into the library because had to complete paperwork for a new job. Mom said, “I don’t know how to use a computer.” Daughter said, “Me either.” Although daughter wasn’t tech-savvy, she knew enough to help mom with what she needed.
- Be patient. A lot of people came in and said, “I don’t know how to use a computer but I need help.” Then there were others who knew what they needed but were unable to explain what they needed. I had to ask relevant questions to get an understanding of what they need.
- I had to be authentically me. If you’re feeling some kind of way, people would detect it.
- I encountered people of all ages, races, social-economic backgrounds, interests, education and skill levels. Technology truly brings people together.
- It was an awarding experience. Do you how good it feels to walk someone through a process that they didn’t think they knew how to do? Many times patrons came in feeling defeated and then they left me feeling better.
- If I don’t know something, I looked it up. If you couldn’t find it, I admitted it. Patrons appreciated the effort I put forth to help them.
- I was more than tech help. I was a resource, a cheerleader, an encourager and any other role I had to step into to ensure people complete their projects.
- A lot of people sought and applied for jobs. Some people came in and said they needed applications to fast food restaurants. Some of those applications could be downloaded.
- I learned lot from individuals you serve, from their computer needs to their life experience.
- You will have requests you never thought of and you’ll visit sites you’ve never visited before. A patron needed to complete a tax form. We downloaded the form from the IRS site in PDF format. You could not fill it out online. However, I found a site, PDFEscape, that allows you to complete a PDF online and save it to your files.
- People do not clean out their email boxes. I’ve helped a few people who had 9999+ messages in their email boxes and had started scrolling down to find what they were looking for. In these situations, I tried to encourage them to use the search box to find what they were looking for.
- A lot of older people do not have email addresses which are needed to create accounts on many sites. When this happened, we set up Gmail accounts. I made sure they wrote down their usernames and passwords.
- I learned how to juggle multiple requests from people that need help.
- Some people have more skills than they think they do. All they need are gentle reminders or your presence for assurance.
- Resumes must be in electronic format. Many sites will not let job seekers move forward in the process without one. Very few companies allow applicants to type in information.
- Some people want me to do their work for them. I had to get clever and get them to do the work. One day a young lady said, “So, can you make a copy for me?” I said, “Sure. Here’s what we need to do. First, press the button the screen to get started.” She pressed it and I walked her through the process of making copies.
- Patrons want to “print from my phone.” What this means is that they had a file that needs to be printed, usually from Google. They just had to access their accounts online, go to the files they need, download and print them.
- Many patrons did not know how to upload and download files from email accounts.
- I got a lot of thank yous and hugs.