Libraries connect patrons to job, resources

By MARIA ELLIOTT • Metro Monthly Contributing Writer

For area residents without reliable access to technology, public libraries provide an essential link to resources.

Library systems in northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania have been integrating technology-related programs and services into their offerings in recent years.

Janet Loew, the communications, public relations, and marketing director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, said the library offers a number of different technology-based programs for patrons.

“Technology has become integrated as an everyday part of libraries and has come to prominence in libraries,” she said.

A Pew Research Center report found that 27 percent of U.S. library users in 2016 attended programs or lectures. Twenty-nine percent visited to use computers, the internet or a public Wi-Fi network.

Loew said the computers are one of the library system’s most-used resources and they have added laptop kiosks, as well. Patrons can check out laptops during their visit to use within the library if there is not a desktop available.

Loew added that classes and one-on-one support through the library are important for teaching people in the community about technology. “Navigating some of the programs and some of these apps can be different—can be challenging to people who aren’t using them every single day.”

The Mahoning County library system has mobile Wi-Fi hotspots available for check out, which patrons can borrow for up to a week at a time, if they don’t have Wi-Fi access at home.

A Pew Research Center study found that about 14 percent of library users visit to apply for jobs online.

Charissa Senteney, the adult services librarian at The Community Library of the Shenango Valley in Sharon, said their computers are always in high demand.

“We also have two specific employment station computers,” she said.

The Sharon system offers computer classes and a weekly gadget workshop where patrons can meet one-on-one with Senteney. “If you can bring it here, I will work on it with you—either if it’s a tablet, a smartphone, or a laptop.”

She said the library has just built a small STEM lab for students to have a space to work, which includes a 3D printing pens. E-readers and Amazon fire sticks are other resources available for checkout.

Senteney said many people come to the library for help because so many aspects of daily life require the internet, but not everyone has proper access to technology. “We’re getting a lot of people who come in who don’t know how to access their health care online, or their banking has now switched to completely online banking.”

In Trumbull County, the Warren-Trumbull County Library offers a variety of computer-literacy classes and has Wi-Fi mobile hotspots available for checkout.

Cheryl Bush, WTCPL marketing and public relations manager, said the Warren-Trumbull library system offers classes that range from introductory computer and internet classes to sessions on Facebook and Microsoft programs.

She said the Warren-Trumbull library system has special computers set aside for children, in addition to their public computers. The system also hopes to add more technology classes for children in the future.

“Libraries play a vital role in helping bridge the digital divide, from teaching classes in technology topics to offering free online resources to providing access to public computers and printers” Bush said.

For more information about public computers and technology classes at area libraries, visit https://www.libraryvisit.org (Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County); https://www.wtcpl.org (Warren-Trumbull County Library); and https://www. clsv.net/ (Community Library of the Shenango Valley).