It's 2022 and you don't have an email address?!?! This is a common situation for staff at public libraries. A patron comes into the library needing to register for a rebate or wants to message a distant family member but have no access to a computer or have never signed up for an email address. This is a tough line to walk as a library worker. A line between being overly helpful and keeping the patron's privacy.
I once had a patron come into our local library that needed to email a document to their credit card company to prove a fraudulent charge. They had never signed up for an email and did not have a smart phone. I patiently sat down with the patron and together we signed them up for a Gmail account. While setting up this Gmail account, it asks several personal questions. I would walk away and let the patron answer the questions privately and then come back when they were ready for the next set. The patron was so grateful and appreciative of my service.
It's hard to believe there are people out there not checking their email several times a day. I think about how many everyday things that you need an email address for. You need an email address for booking vacations, flights, verifying your identity with online banking, corresponding with your child's teacher and many more. It seems second nature.
Having grace and patience to help those less tech savvy in a library setting is a beneficial skill all library workers should grow and develop.
Kristina - Your last line in this blog is my favorite. "Having grace & patience to help those less tech savvy" is definitely a skill that all library professionals should abide by. I love the sentiment so much.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you mention walking away while someone is filling out personal information. It can be so easy to forget to turn away for those things, but it is imperative to keep that patron's privacy at the forefront of our thoughts. Great reminder!
I love your last line; Having grace and patience to help those less tech savvy in a library setting is a beneficial skill all library workers should grow and develop. This is so true; I think that is the number one thing all librarians should have "patience". Until I started at the library, I did not realize all the things you need an email address for. The big thing at my library is the Kwik Trip rewards cards, I cannot believe how many older patrons use those rewards. But they again have to have an email to get one, so I help them start an email and help them get it all set up. When you do this every day it is just something you do, you do not really even think about it. I also like how you put that some people are not checking their email several times a day. I lose track of how many times I check my email a day. It is just habit and I just do it. Crazy how that works when you do it all the time.
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