Smart Tech Classes for the Older person

Description

In Scariff library service, we identified a growing need for engagement in our online services with the older person and for inclusivity within the library for this demographic. As a result, we instigated 2 programs: the Smart Tech Classes and the Age Friendly Morning.

Smart tech Classes
we established an informal Smart Tech Class, which is not unusual. However, these classes are 1 to 1 and student led. To facilitate this, we have engaged with the local secondary school and the Transition Year students.
The older person is required to register in the library and sign up to the 4-week program. They need to provide details of the device that they need assistance with, this just allow us to pair them with the appropriate student – one who is familiar with the device.
Every Wednesday morning for 1 hour and for a 4-week period the older person and the TY student sit with each other. The TY student goes through whatever it is that the older person needs to know. From the feed back that we have received from both TY students and the older person we have ascertained that this is a very worthwhile and beneficial project and a project that we will be running again in September. The TY students have been reported to be extremely patient and non-patronising with the older person. And the older persons have reported that they have learned a tremendous amount about the use of their devices. Some very strong relationships have developed because of the 1-1 sessions. The devices have varied from mobile phones to tv remote controls. How to use the DVD drive on laptops, how to close windows to save battery power.
We advertised these classes in the local shops, online, and in the library branch. We also got in touch with the local day care centre to tell them about it.
Age Friendly Morning
This was set up to encourage the older person to engage with the library and to let them feel that they had a space and place for themselves.
We set these sessions up as a drop in morning, every Tuesday from 10:30am – 12pm. That eliminated the pressure for people thinking that they were committing to something long term.
We started off by showing old classic movies and providing tea, coffee, and biscuits. It has developed because of feedback from the attendees and now the activities range from cards, games and crafts, the movie and most importantly the chat and company. People have started to bring cakes and we have acquired 2 beautiful teapots. We are hoping to get guest speakers in in the future. We recently had a choir conductor in to talk about the benefits of music. We also had a Zen practitioner, who held a workshop.
This again, was promoted on our online platform, local shops, and within the branch. We have engaged with the local day care Centre, and they come, via bus, most Tuesdays.

Aim of Initiative

The aim was to firstly make people aware of the services that the library offers an to get them comfortable enough with their technology to use these services. the second initiative was to create a space for people that they felt comfortable and included in.

Who is it aimed at

Both of these initiatives are aimed at people of retirement age and older

3 Steps critical to success

1. For the Smart Tech classes it was vital to the project that the TY students were in a position to commit.
2. We also had an age friendly parking space installed and we had a broken lift replaced, this allowed for the library to be fully accessible.
3. Local advertising and promotion of both initiatives was crucial

3 Challenges in Planning / Delivery

1. Smart Tech: getting the same TY students every week and working within the confines of the school calendar and curriculum
2. Both projects: getting people through the door, once in it is easy enough to keep them
3. Catering for wide and varied requirements from people. But by listening to what they were asking from us were were able to accommodate everyone at some stage.

3 Outcomes / Benefits

1. Smart tech: it created a lovely friendship between the TY student and the Smart tech student. It encouraged patience and understanding from both sides.
2. Age Friendly Morning: We have created a comfortable space for people to do what they enjoy doing.
3. it made the library visible, accessible and useable to an older demographic/