Beat the summer heat – and better yourself – at the library
By Diane Evans
June 16th, 2009 | Leave a comment
By Diane Evans, DelMio.com
Looking for something to do this summer? Go to the library.
You might find more than you expect. And the best part is it’s free.
In addition to innovative summer reading programs and other interesting activities, libraries are also a source of free computer access.
This is a big deal for many communities. In one recent survey, more than 70 percent of libraries identified themselves as the only source of free access to computers and the Internet in their area, according to the American Library Association (ALA). And, Internet services are escalating rapidly within the nation’s libraries. The ALA also reports that more than 76 percent of all public libraries provide Wi-Fi access, up from 65.9 percent one year ago.
In the national debate over stimulus spending for broadband networks, library proponents make an effective argument that libraries can play a significant role in bridging the digital divide. In a recent conversation, Sari Feldman, president-elect of the Public Library Association (a division of ALA), pointed out that libraries not only provide public access to Internet service, but they also give people needed support – in figuring out how to fill out an online job application, for example. A majority of large retailers, Feldman noted, now require online applications.
The Cuyahoga County Public Library in Northeast Ohio, where Feldman is executive director, is an example of a library system with dozens of programs that help level the playing field for those with no Internet access in their homes. People receive help with job searches and applications, for example. In another initiative, college-bound students learn to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
These are ways libraries stand to further elevate their relevance as places where people can go to help improve themselves and seek new opportunities. They can be a place to go, especially for those otherwise shut out of opportunities that require Internet access.
No surprise libraries figure prominently in the debate over how to provide Internet access to those under-served or not served at all.
Yet even in the best-case scenario, one where all public libraries provide public accessibility to high-speed, high-capacity Internet service, that alone isn’t enough to break down economic, social and educational barriers that result from the digital divide.
The other part of the equation: People must take the personal initiative to use the services available to them in order to reap the benefits.
I’m reminded of my 83-year-old dad who not long ago went to the doctor complaining of various aches and pains. He was really complaining of being shut out – of playing golf, for example, or bocce.
“Go to the gym,’’ the doctor kept telling him.
Finally, after hearing it enough times, he went to his version of the gym – the one he set up in his basement. His health improved dramatically.
Looking for a new job? A more effective, efficient ways to learn new skills? How to do better in school? Ways to beat the summer heat?
Go to the library.
