Bridging the Digital Divide : a HackforMN Project

Bridging the Digital Divide in the Twin Cities

Team: Ankur Garg, Kat Jayne, Jen Merrill, Elise Ebhardt, and Elisa Poquette

Community Partners: City of Minneapolis and the Technology Literacy Collaborative

Anne„Any new system

has to be as self-

service as

possible; we can‟t

have staff pulled

away from helping

other patrons‟

Key goals We must

We must notBehaviours

• Serve as many patrons as possible

• Balance time spent troubleshooting

to with well-placed referrals to

classes

• Balance the time and space taken

up by computers with everything

else the library provides

• Have enough access so people

don’t get booted off after an hour

• Guide them through sign-up process

or help with printing and hardware

issues

• Be inclusive of all uses of the

computer and all cultures and

languages.

• Thinks practically and realistically

• Accepts all patrons

• Refers patrons with training needs

• Take on more technology we can

realistically maintain

• Divert space/money/staff from books

and other resources

Librarian

Kayla„My clients need

access to

computers and

wi-fi on a daily

basis and I don‟t

always know the

best place to refer

them‟

Key goals We must


• Make a good referral to their client

• Be prepared to address questions

about hours of service and what

resources are available

• Respond quickly and don’t let their

client down

• Provide up-to-date & accurate

information on what is available

• Have an easy-to-use site with

reliably quick results

• Make qualifications or limitations

very clear

• Works quickly and efficiently

• Knows their clients’ backgrounds

and special needs well

• Give false information

• Require specialized searching skills

or jargon to use the search

Social Worker

Daniel„When people

call up I need to

make a quick

and accurate

referral‟

Key goals We must


• Make a good referral to their caller

• Be prepared to address questions

about hours of service and what

resources are available

• Respond quickly and don’t let their

caller down



• Have an easy-to-use site with

reliably quick results


very clear

• Works quickly and efficiently

• Must make inquiries about the

callers’ backgrounds and special

needs




211 Agent

Rob„When I‟m out

talking to people

in the

community I get

a lot of

questions about

computer or

wi-fi access

Key goals We must


• Leave behind printed materials on

computer and wi-fi access points

• Spread the word about community

resources

• Ensure his materials are accurate

and up-to-date



• Allow for the quick compilation and

printing out of resources in a variety

of languages


very clear

• Understands his community and

their needs on a deep level

• Grows frustrated with the lack of

usable resources to help them




Community

Activist

Arnold„I use my laptop

to keep

connected to

friends and

family, but wi-fi

isn‟t in my

budget‟

Key goals We must


• Check email and social networks

• View and print messages and event

details

• View video and photos from family

• Apply for services such as Medicare

Part-D online

• Provide easy-to-access wi-fi

• Provide adequate hours during the

day before I get busy with activities

• Provide ability to watch videos with

the volume on

• Walks to the library first thing in the

morning

• Savours his computer time and the

chance to feel connected to people

who are far away

• Always goes to the same library and

sits in the same place

• Charge or add any other barriers to

wi-fi access

• Close for an extended period of

time for renovation

Retiree

William„On the weekends

I manage my

personal finances

and pay bills

online, but I don‟t

have a computer

at home‟

Key goals We must

We must not

Behaviours

• Get information and make financial

transactions at a comfortable pace

• Keep up-to-date on news and

financial trends

• Check email and social network

feeds

• Provide ample access so I don’t

have to be logged out after 1 hour

• Provide adequate hours in the

evenings and on weekends when

I’m not at work

• Provide privacy and security for

viewing sensitive information

• Drives to the library from home or

stops on his way home from work

• Worries about the security of the

library’s network

• Keeps focused on his task so he

can move onto more enjoyable

things

• Limit usage by time period

• Close for an extended period of

time for renovation

Bank Teller

Esme„I‟ve been looking

for work for 6

months. Every

employer requires

an online job

application

nowadays‟

Key goals We must

We must not

Behaviours

• Search for jobs and research

companies in the area

• Apply for jobs

• Check email and print job interview

details and directions to the

interview

• Provide troubleshooting support for

when search engines or application

forms aren’t working correctly

• Provide guides to job search and

research in Spanish

• Be on a public transit line and open

convenient hours

• Rides the bus to the unemployment

center three times a week

• Spends a lot of time searching and

applying, is very conscientious and

serious about finding work

• Doesn’t like to ask for help unless

she is really stuck

• Charge for printing, training, or help

• Limit usage by time

• Allow other users to be playing

videos at high volume or using

computer in other distracting ways

Job Seeker

Nimco„I‟m new to this

country and I

don‟t have any

idea how to find a

computer I could

use or how to use

one‟

Key goals We must


• Find public access computers with

trainers or help on-hand

• Connect with people back home and

with new friends via email

• Research programs and community

resources

• Provide introductory training and

help along the way in Somali

• Provide information on what’s

available via print or dumb phone

• Be reliable and trustworthy

• Does not have any familiarity with

the concept of a free library

• Distrusts government agencies and

is overwhelmed by their complexity

• Doesn’t really know what the

internet could do for her

• Charge for training, or help

• Speak English Only

Mother

Janae„Most of the time I

have access, but

every once in

awhile something

comes up and

then I feel lost and

disconnected‟

Key goals We must


• Find public access computers

nearby on the rare occasions she

needs one

• Write papers, do research

• Connect with friends via social

media

• Provide lightweight mobile site she

can load on her smartphone

• Provide walking or biking directions

• Provide information on what

software is available at each

location

• Very technologically savvy

• Not familiar with common social

support and referral services like

211 or 311

• Under tremendous pressure with

multiple deadlines

• Limit usage to internet only

• Limit hours to 8-4 M-F

Online

Student

Harriet„I know a digital

divide exists,

I‟m just not sure

what I can do

about it

personally‟

Key goals We must


• Understand the circumstances that

contribute to the digital divide

• Feel empowered to do something

and connected to those they’ve

helped

• Donate time or hardware

• Provide information about the safety

and worthwhileness of donating

• Provide stories of those helped by

digital divide programs

• Be open convenient hours and

willing to recycle what we can’t use

• Reads newspapers and blog posts

on the digital divide

• Is concerned about how her donated

technology might be used

• Expect her to be involved for

extended periods of time

• Appear ungrateful or unsure of if we

can use her help

Attorney

Cho„We have these

laptops and free

wi-fi and I wish

more people

knew about

them, they‟re

rarely used‟

Key goals We must


• Publicize his businesses resources

• Feel like he is helping his

community

• Find volunteers to help with training,

troubleshooting, and maintenance

• Provide a very easy to fill out form

• Provide an easy way to search for

people interested in volunteering

their time

• Talks with people in the community

every day and knows how they feel

• Wants to contribute and help others

get a leg up

• Make the barrier to posting too high

• Make it hard to understand how the

information will be accessed by

others

Barista

Anne,

Librarian„We just renovated and I need to update

our listing to reflect our new resources‟

Kayla,

Social Worker„Monica called this morning and said the

shelter worker told her a rental unit is

available but she has to apply today‟

Daniel,

211 Agent„Armando is looking for free wi-fi and he

needs it right away. He has his own

laptop but might need help getting online‟

Rob,

Community Activist„Headed into the Phillips Neighborhood

today. I‟ll need flyers in Somali and I

should include introductory classes‟

Arnold,

Retiree

„I picked up this flyer at the library – it‟s

nice to have something to hang on the

refrigerator with all this info on it.‟

William,

Bank Teller„Seems like I never get more than an

hour on the library computer when I go

after work. I wonder if there‟s somewhere

else with better availability‟

Esme,

Job Seeker„Getting to the Unemployment Office

everyday is exhausting, I wish there was

some way to get my own laptop or

someplace close by to just check email‟

Nimco,

Mother„I‟m sure that there are things I could do

more easily with computer access, but

using government agencies is always so

complicated, and I doubt it‟s really free‟

Janae,

Online Student„My car and laptop were stolen last night.

I have two term papers due on Friday

and no idea where to find a computer

where I can do research and write‟

Harriet,

Attorney„We upgrade our tablets and laptops at

home about every two years and every

three years at work. That‟s a lot of good,

working hardware just going to waste‟

Cho,

Barista

„A few of our “regulars” have donated

laptops in the last few months, but

nobody knows that they‟re here‟