Between Senior Citizens and the Internet

PCs for Seniors 1

Closing the “Familiarity Divide” Between Senior Citizens and the Internet: The PCs for Seniors Class at the Levittown Public Library

Glenn Orleski INFO 520 Grant Proposal 3/06/09 PCs for Seniors 2

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Levittown Public Library intends to begin a series of 10 week computer lectures designed for our Senior Citizen patrons. The “digital divide” of internet access has been discussed extensively in the past 10 years. What hasn’t been addressed as well is the familiarity divide that demographics like seniors face when accessing the internet. Beginning January, 2010 the LPL will begin to bridge that divide in the community when the PCs for Seniors seminar kicks off. The 10 week class will be the first of a series of services meant to reacquaint the library with its adult patrons. The library seeks funding of $12925.00 to open up a new computer lab designed exclusively for the seminar.

SETTING

The Levittown Public Library is one of seven Bucks County Free Library branches that are collectively governed by a seven person board of directors. It has been serving the residents of Levittown and Bucks County at its current location since 1995. The area has been in flux recently and the population of Levittown has declined some over the years due to loss of factory jobs such as the Fairless Hills U.S. Steel plant finally closing in 2001 after years of worker reductions. Despite this loss of jobs Levittown still remains one of Philadelphia’s largest suburbs with over 50,000 residents. Four large high schools and an even larger number of elementary schools are located within a 5 mile radius of the library. This large number of area schools is certainly indicative of the number of young families that choose to make Levittown their home.

Library Info PCs for Seniors 3

The Levittown Public Library’s roots go back to the very beginnings of Levittown’s history. In 1953, shortly after Levittown’s construction, a group of likeminded residents came together and began a small library operation in the town’s civic center. After roughly five years of leadership changes and temporary locations the library would find a more permanent home.

In August of 1958 the library moved to its first official location at Millcreek and Levittown

Pkwy. Here it would reside until the current location opened to the public in 1995. The library received financial support from three nearby municipalities, Bristol Township, Falls Township, and Tullytown Boro, and in 1966 merged with the Bucks County Free Library system that already had members throughout the county.

From these upstart beginnings the Levittown Public Library has done some growing up over the years. It is now the second busiest location in the 7 branch library network of Bucks

County. As of November 2008 the Library housed 157, 265 volumes and a circulation of 411,

803 items. The Library offers a full selection of audio books, videos, CDs, DVDs as well as wired and wireless internet access. It also provides an array of services including, Ancestry.com,

Factiva, Next Good Book, Ask Here PA, Hoover’s Online, Netadvanatage, Book News,

Learningexpress Library, Netlibrary, Dear Reader, Morningstar, Proquest, Heritage Quest

Online, My Library DV, and Reference USA.

Future Goals

In the past, the libraries organizational goals have always reflected the area demographics by focusing programs on school age patrons. As a result, it is fair to say that the services offered to its adult patrons have taken a back seat to youth services. In response to their past shortcomings in the area of adult services, the LPL’s goals for 2009-2011 include a renewed focus on its adult audience. In order to better facilitate this shift the library has created and filled PCs for Seniors 4 a full time Librarian/Adult Services position. The goals pertaining to their adult patrons are outlined below and represent a large shift in focus for the library.

Goal 1. Everyone will have attractive, safe, and welcoming places to meet and interact with others or to sit quietly and read. Goal 2. Young children (age five and under) will have programs and services designed so that they will enter school ready to read, write, and listen. Goal 3. Children (ages 6 – 11) will have materials and programs that stimulate their imaginations and provide pleasurable reading, viewing, and listening experiences. Goal 4. Children and teens will have the books, media, and electronic resources they need to satisfy their curiosity, explore topics of personal interest, and help them succeed in school. Goal 5. Teens (age 12 and older) will have materials and programs that respond to their current interests and provide pleasurable reading, viewing, and listening experiences. Goal 6. Adults will have the resources they need to explore topics of personal interest and continue to learn throughout their lives. Goal 7. Adults will have timely access to a variety of new and popular materials. Goal 8. Adults will have the information they need to support and promote democracy, to fulfill their civic responsibilities at the local, state, and national levels, and to fully participate in community decision making. Goal 9. Adults will have convenient and timely access to services and programs that help them find, evaluate, and use information effectively (Library strategic plan) Special attention should be drawn to Goal 8 as it relates to area senior citizens and the movement towards e-government at all levels. If current government trends persist the computer won’t be seen merely as a method of keeping in touch with friends and relatives or as merely an entertainment device. Instead, the internet and E-government pursuits have positioned it as a necessary tool for fulfilling “civic responsibilities at the local, state, and national levels, and to fully participate in community decision making.”

STATEMENT OF NEED

The Levittown Public Library has goals to provide extensive information access to our adult patrons, including senior citizens. But as Fountain points out in a quote referenced by PCs for Seniors 5

Helbig, Gil-Garcia, and Ferro (2008) in an article from Government Information Quarterly, access alone isn’t enough to close the digital divide.

“These inequalities [between race, income, and education] must be considered in any political analysis of the use of the internet in American government. The cases in this inquiry indicate that preferred ‘customers’ receive preferred treatment in government enactment of the internet. If this happens throughout government then enacting technology with a ‘customer focus’ and without conscious efforts to reduce inequality may exacerbate the digital divide in ways that extend beyond simple inequality of access.” (Helbig, Gil-Garcia, & Ferro, 2008, p. 94)

If the libraries senior patrons are unable or unwilling to access the internet it will be impossible for the library to reach its adult service goals. As such, a computer seminar for senior citizens is an essential first step towards meeting these goals. Unfortunately, the current equipment available and levels of funding fail to meet the requirements of the program.

As was explained earlier, Levittown is largely comprised of young families, and its library’s programs and user services have reflected this. In the future, Levittown Public Library intends to reach out to the senior demographic in order to better serve the community as a whole.

According to 2000 census data 14.5 percent of the Levittown population is 65 years of age or older. Additionally, four retirement communities exist within a three mile radius of the library.

Many of these seniors are a part of Levittown’s development and rich history, and as such library programs need to embrace this demographic accordingly. In doing so, the library becomes a well rounded center of information that serves the entire community. The first initiative of this newfound focus will be a series of computer seminars aimed at senior patrons.

Put simply, possessing the skill needed to properly access the internet and perform other computer related tasks has the ability to increase the quality of life of Levittown’s senior citizens.

In a case study done by Warren-Peace, Parrish, Peace, and Xu (2008) following two senior citizens’ experiences with computer education a woman named Lois, who began taking senior centric computer classes at the age of 77, clearly articulates what these lessons meant to her. PCs for Seniors 6

“Is there anything left to say? [Chuckle] I do wish they would start up the Senior program again. I think it was very valuable and very important. Seniors have become the forgotten group from what I have seen. Most of my friends do nothing but go to church and watch television. I worked almost all of my life and managed a low rent housing project for 50 years, so I am not a person to just sit. The computer has opened a whole new world to me. It keeps me in touch and it keeps my mind active. I hadn’t realized that before the computer classes came along. I had a lot of time on my hands. My main thinking is that I needed something besides the television. There is nothing too much there. I am a baseball addict and when the season ended I was lost. The winters [baseball off-season] can be long. Other seniors are a lot like I was.” (Warren-Peace, Parrish, Peace, & Xu, 2008, p. 268)

Certainly there has been progress in the area of connecting seniors to the internet. Usage amongst senior citizens is on the rise, but it still lags behind other demographics. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys from April and May 2008, 35 percent of adults 65 years old and over used a computer or the internet on an “occasional basis.” This number has more than doubled the 15 percent of seniors who responded similarly in 2000.

Despite this increase, use of computers and the internet by seniors still lags behind the rest of the population. 70 percent of people 50-64 years old were at least occasional computer users, and the percentages rise as age decreases. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009)

It seems the final hurdle to bridging the disparity between these numbers will not simply be a matter of access. There has obviously been lots of talk about closing the digital divide in this country by creating more affordable access to the internet. But for many of the senior citizens of Levittown and the rest of the country their lack of internet use is due to a lack of familiarity with the technology rather than limited access. By offering a 10 week series of computer classes aimed at senior citizens the Levittown Public Library aim to close this familiarity divide for its elder patrons.

PROPOSED PROGRAM

Goals PCs for Seniors 7

The Levittown Public Library would love for all of its class participants to become avid computer users after participating in the course. However this overly ideal scenario isn’t what the project aims for. First and foremost they hope to remove any sense of intimidation and trepidation that their older patrons may have when working with computers. As a result, lessons will not be laden with the technical workings of computers. The focus of the program isn’t how computers are working, but rather how computers can benefit the seniors. The objective is to leave them with ability to perform simple tasks on the computer that will improve their quality of life. Whether it is keeping in touch with family and friends through email, finding new recipes, banking, or even purchasing groceries for home delivery, the internet likely has the most practical use to the age demographic that currently uses it the least.

The program doesn’t seek to bog itself down with the inner workings of a motherboard or other weighty technical details. Toby Dichter of Generations On Line succinctly describes the reasoning the library will be employing with its class focus. “Why start with the complexities of understanding this technology for which they don’t yet perceive value?” (Kelly & Hibner, 2005, p. 152) The ultimate goal then of our lectures will be to explain some of the main benefits of computer use while demonstrating that anyone can use the technology. Class participants will be encouraged to double click away and shed any existing technophobia they may have.

To start, the library will need 15 additional PC’s and monitors in order to create a computer lab area for the class. PCs need not be high end towers as they will be internet only workstations. However, 19 inch widescreen monitors will absolutely be needed due to vision concerns. The PCs will print to one of two printers that will be installed in the lab. Following the advice of another senior computer program each workstation will be outfitted with a track PCs for Seniors 8 ball mouse in place of the standard mouse for comfort and ease of use. (Kelly & Hibner, 2005, p.

153) Additional tables and chairs will be needed for the lab area as well as a projector to enable the class to follow the on screen actions of the instructor. Networking equipment will be another necessity as internet use will be one of the main uses of the computers. In addition to the new hardware, transportation for class participants will be provided if needed.

Classes

Initial class sizes will be limited to 14 patrons. Weekly classes are scheduled to begin in

January of 2010, running for 10 weeks. Class sessions will be held in the summer and fall months as well. The Levittown Public Library’s new head of adult services will instruct classes, with another assistant tending to the rest of the class. Sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 10

AM and will last for roughly an hour. The hour will be split with 20-25 minutes of instruction followed by 30-35 minutes for completing class activities and free use of the computer. In order for the seniors to become comfortable using the PC and internet periods of free use and exploration are necessary. Step by step instruction on its own will not create the fearless technology users we hope to create! Fearlessness shouldn’t be confused with irresponsibility though as the dangers of the internet will be covered early on in the curriculum. Lessons on security, identity theft, and other dangers will also be intertwined throughout the rest of the sessions. Class topics will vary from week to week, but the program will steer clear of a linear progression. Each lecture and activity should stand on its own merit and not require skills from previous weeks. Not only will this approach help those who can’t make scheduled sessions, but it also serves to benefit the class as a whole by constantly reinforcing certain base skills. Senior computer classes taught by libraries in the past have learned that it’s nearly impossible to go too slow when teaching basic computer skills to brand new users. (Kerico, 2006, p. 11) PCs for Seniors 9

Class schedule

Week 1: 1/5/10 – What Can Online Do For You? Week 2: 1/12/10 - Safe Surfing Week 3: 1/19/10 - Email Instruction Week 4: 1/26/10 - Search Engine Use Week 5: 2/2/10 - E-commerce Basics Week 6: 2/9/10 - Microsoft Word and Printing Basics Week 7: 2/16/10 - Staying Current, Internet News Week 8: 2/23/10 - Staying In Touch, Social Networking 101 Week 9: 3/2/10 - Entertainment on the Web Week 10: 3/9/10 - Putting It All Together

Program Evaluation

In week 10 the seniors will be asked to fill out a survey that will determine whether the participant’s skills and overall level of comfort with the computer have increased. In addition, the “Putting It All Together” activity will test the senior’s skills in an entertaining, contest-like fashion, while providing the course instructor with an opportunity to gauge progress.

Participants will be asked to take part in a survey three months after participation in the PCs for

Seniors program in order to gauge online behavior since classes have ended. This survey will also measure the quality of any post-class computer use. Program goals include the following.

- A quarter of the class participants who hadn’t used the internet previously, begin doing so on at least a weekly basis.

- Out of participants that used the internet previously, 60 percent will use the internet more frequently.

- 80 percent of the class should report a significant increase in the quality of their use, regardless of the frequency of use.

CONCLUSION PCs for Seniors 10

Computers skills will make Levittown’s senior library patrons lives better, and at some point in the near future will be a requirement for the fulfillment of “civic responsibilities”. The classes will allow the library to begin a large scale information access conversation with area seniors that has been difficult to conduct on an individual basis. By opening up this new line of dialogue between the Levittown Public Library and its senior patrons they will be afforded the opportunity of taking an active role in improving the quality of life of area seniors.

BUDGET

Desktop computers $ 4500.00 19” monitors $ 1800.00 Trackball mice $ 375.00 Printers $ 400.00 Software $ 750.00 Networking equipment $ 1000.00 Transportation Service $ 2000.00 Furniture $ 1500.00 LCD Projector $ 600.00

Total $ 12925.00 PCs for Seniors 11

Bibliography

Helbig, N., Gil-Garcia, J. R., & Ferro, E. (2008). Understanding the complexity of electronic government: Implications from the digital divide literature. Government Information Quarterly. 26, 89-97.

Kelly, M., & Hibner, H. (2005). Teaching Computers to Seniors: What not to do. Public Libraries. 44(3), 151-155.

Kerico, J. (2006).Westminster village: A theme-based approach to teaching seniors about the internet. Indiana Libraries. 25(3), 9-12.

Library Strategic Plan. Bucks County Free Library Website. Retrieved March 3, 2009 from http://www.buckslib.org/StrategicPlan/#goals

U.S. Census Bureau. Adult Computer and Adult Internet Users, by Selected Characteristics: 1995 to 2008 [Data file]. Retrieved March, 2, 2009 from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s1121.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau. Typical Daily Internet Activities of Adult Internet Users: 2007 and 2008[Data file] Retrieved March, 2, 2009 from http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s1123.pdf

Warren-Peace, P., Parrish, E., Peace, C. B., & Xu, J. (2008). Senior surfing: Computer use, aging, and formal training. AACE Journal, 16(3), 253-274.