Remote Tech Support!

Computers in Libraries and IL Connect

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This is Shirley, she had a granddaughter who was doing a performance on Zoom and she wanted to make sure she could attend. So we practiced.

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I am a person who helps people fix their computers for a job. Just like training a pet, sometimes training with technology is training the OWNER more than the device.

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This is Tony, he and his wife are "high risk" so aren't even coming in to town most of the time. We got him on Skype (he couldn't do Zoom for some reason) and it was… an odd interaction. But it was acceptable. We are all dealing with a lot.

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We should have already been ready to provide services digitally. It's not our patrons' fault that this is where we are. This is not true for all places but it is true for many.

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Are you allowing patrons to use the library’s public computers – in the building?

Yes = 84 (59%)

No = 59 (41%)

Are you allowing patrons to use the library’s public computers – outside the building?

Yes = 37 (30%)

No = 87 (70%)

Are you allowing patrons to use the library’s public computers – checkout for home use?

Yes = 15 (13%)

No = 100 (87%)

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Many of my piece of advice come straight from this article "How to help someone use a computer" Nobody is born knowing this stuff.

You've forgotten what it's like to be a beginner.

If it's not obvious to them, it's not obvious.

A computer is a means to an end. The person you're helping probably cares mostly about the end.

*This is reasonable.*

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Slide with the word PERSON on it

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There are useful traits I have that make this work better. From the slide: 1. Patience (image of dog with treat balanced on nose) - Everything takes longer. Do you have someplace to be? 2. Device/OS agnostic (image of multiple devices) - They have what they have. Meeting them where they are is simpler than taking them elsewhere. 3. Sense of humor (image of friendly looking groundhog) - Zoom is easier if you're talking to a friendly groundhog.

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The big issue is that the technology issue isn't solve when you've given them a helpful handout, the technology issue is solved when they can DO THE THING they need to do. This is somewhat new. Quote on slide "Every person is a potential technology user. Especially now." Image of split zoom screen with me talking to my elderly landlady.

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Another line from Phil's list "Who do users in this community get help from? If you focus on building that person's skills, the skills will diffuse to everyone else." Picture is of a weird facetime where Marian's camera is pointed right up her nose. I explain that Marian is an older woman who is well-connected in her community and is confident about her tech skills and helped get her book group online, something maybe I couldn't do.

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Image of a cat covering the whole screen from an ALA Council meeting. Technology is often said to have a lack of personality but we can bring our personalities to it in new ways. People know what my office looks like where they wouldn't before. People can share pets, etc.

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Slide with the word PLACE on it

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Screenshot of a phone with a long text explaining a tech support issue. If this is how users want to connect, let them.

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Screenshot of a Zoom Room where I am meeting someone who is signing a document so I can remotely notarize it. If your library has Zoom rooms, try to share it out just like you would a meeting room. Share what you have.

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Screenshot of someone teaching calculus over Twitch. Twitch is a platform that has uses to share technology, video, chatting.

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Screenshot of librarian room in Discord. Discord is also platform that has uses to share technology, video, chatting. When I went to write about it for CIL, I found a group of librarians already there!

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Screenshot of my friend Phil talking about being upset or unhappy that someone "joe jobbed" his Yahoo account. Even though I've seen this a lot it's still useful for me to be sympathetic to him. It hasn't happened to HIM a lot.

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Photo of Ferguson Library who moved a lot of their tech outside.

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Photo of Denver Public Library who moved their whole tech lab outside while the weather is nice.

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Slide with the word THING on it (with small word "tech" above it)

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Picture of a random device with a plug-in hole. Text "Found this at the thrift store but it doesn't have a charging cable…." Sending more photos of things, even via phone, can be a good way to solve problems. Carolyn send this image, left it for me, I dropped it back off with her, she gave me a bag of vegetables.

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Screenshot of three handouts I made that are screenshots with big circles and arrows in bright red text asking things like "Does this help?"

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Image of me talking to someone using a Zoom-like interface and our internet connection has stopped working. Caption "Troubleshooting is your life now."

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Image of my notes for doing my "notes from drop-in time" tweets outlining all the different things I am helping people with. Caption "Honestly? It's not a bad life."

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Page with the friendly groundhog and asking peopel to stay in touch with my contact information.