When thinking of patron email usage, a lot comes to mind for me. I have a lot of patrons that come into the library and need to create an email. They have no idea how to do that, so we start from the beginning. I show them how to create an email through google since for our library that seems to be the best option. Then they have to think of a username, a lot do not have any clue what they should use so I help them find something that they will remember easier. We then create a password and I remind them that they should not use a password that they use for other things. I also have them write the username and password down on a piece of paper and I make sure they take that with them when they leave. That way if they need to get into their email when they are not at the library they can because they have all their information with them. I also try to show them some of the different features with email and tell them about the privacy policies through google and emailing. I get a lot of questions, but as long as I keep up on things, I can usually answer most of the patrons' questions.
I really like working at the library and having the ability to help patrons do things that they are not comfortable with, but after we get done showing them all that we can they are comfortable and are good with trying it out by themselves. It feels so good to help patrons feel good and safe using the internet and using their new email you helped them create.
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ReplyDeleteIt's truly not as surprising when I come across a patron that doesn't have or use an email address. It seems almost unbelievable, however we still live in a time when "pre-email" is a time remembered. Technology has made us move and think faster than ever before, and I often worry we haven't yet done enough to keep from leaving certain demographics in the dust.
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