Without a net : librarians bridging the digital divide

An easy-to-read and understand guide to the complexities surrounding technology access and adoption that focuses on the ways libraries can help close the digital divide.

Teaching novice computer users, including seniors and individuals with disabilities such as low vision or motor skills, how to do what they want and need to do online is a formidable challenge for library staff. Part inspirational, part practical Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide is a summary of techniques, approaches, and skills that will help librarians meet this challenge.

Jessamyn C. West's experience as a librarian, deeply immersed in technology culture yet living in rural America, makes her uniquely qualified to write this book. Taking a big-picture approach to the subject, she demystifies and simplifies tech training for the busy librarian, providing an easy-to-use handbook full of techniques that can be used with many different library populations. As an added bonus, she also examines the players in the library technology arena to offer firsthand reports on what works, what doesn't, and what's next.

• Preface p. xi
• Why I Am Writing This Book p. xi
• Where I Came From p. xii
• Where I Am p. xiii
• What We Have p. xv
• Where We're Going p. xvi
• Caveats p. xviii
• Acknowledgments p. xxi
• Introduction p. xxiii
• Why Our Work Is Important-Defining the Digital Divide p. xxiii
• Computers, We Have Them p. xxv
• People Are Offline for a Reason p. xxvi
• Moral Imperatives and Technological Definitions p. xxviii
• Who Is Offline, and Why? p. xxix
• What Libraries Can Do p. xxxviii
• About This Book p. xxxix
• 1 People in the Library p. 1
• Library Staff-You Are Here p. 2
• Library Patrons-What They Need, What They Receive p. 9
• 2 The Bigger Picture-Who Makes the Tools We Use p. 19
• What Is a Default and Who Decides? p. 20
• The Media, the Decision Makers, and How They Interact p. 38
• Synthesis-How It All Works Together p. 48
• 3 Planning-Strategies, Techniques, and Tools p. 51
• Library Policies p. 53
• Leading versus Following-Tech Assessments p. 60
• 4 Planning for Pedagogy p. 69
• Our Toolbox p. 70
• Setting Up the Classroom p. 78
• Instruction Happens p. 81
• The Technology Itself p. 85
• Are You Accessible? p. 92
• 5 Basic Instruction and Explanations p. 97
• Tech Terms and Meanings p. 98
• What Is a Computer? p. 102
• What Is an Operating System? p. 117
• What Is the Desktop? p. 120
• What Is a Window? p. 120
• Basic Tasks p. 123
• 6 What Is the Internet? p. 135
• Internet Elevator Pitch p. 137
• Internet Access p. 138
• What Is Our Internet? p. 139
• A Few Common Myths about the Internet p. 140
• The Web p. 142
• Google, The p. 153
• 7 Email Is Everything p. 163
• Break It Down-What Is Email Really? p. 164
• So, You Need Email? p. 170
• Email Parts p. 175
• Email Attachments p. 176
• Advanced Email-Tips to Improve the Experience p. 178
• Non-web-based Email p. 179
• Bad People and Email p. 180
• 8 Office Software, Databases, and Social Software p. 183
• Do You Know Word? p. 184
• Bibliographic Instruction-Teaching Our Tools p. 188
• Social Software and Syndicated Sites p. 192
• 9 When Things Go Wrong, or Right p. 201
• Troubleshooting and Supporting Your Systems p. 202
• Feedback and Assessment p. 210
• 10 Things That Work-Examples from the Field p. 217
• Informal Consortia in the Green Mountains and Elsewhere p. 218
• MyKLOW-Consortial Blogging p. 219
• Technology Petting Zoo-Up Close and Personal p. 221
• 23 Things p. 222
• Five Weeks to a Social Library-Collaborative Learning p. 224
• 11 Why This Matters and What to Do p. 227
• Appendix and Bibliography p. 231
• Notes p. 247
• Index p. 251