Final Report

My time doing my service hours at the Monterey County Free Library at the King City branch

was a pleasant one overall. At first when I came and asked the principal librarian if they required

some help I, of course, was a bit skeptical about being able to do my hours at this location. I told

her that the course I was taking asked us to help a non-profit organization with bridging the

digital divide and that I would be able to help out with people who didn’t know how to use the

computer or needed assistance with any computer related issues. After I finished explaining to

her what the class was about and what my goal was she let me know that they were in need with

help in that field. Since there were times when people would come and ask for help in areas that

they couldn’t help in or that they were too occupied to assist them due to other patrons requiring

their help as well as that every Friday a bus of seniors would come and try and go on the

computers and usually needed help. When I heard this I thought it was perfect since I wanted

help people out who had issues or wanted to learn how to use the internet or create an email but I

also thought that seniors were part of the digital divide since they hadn’t grown up with

computers and they usually had problems. So Robin Cauntay the Principal Librarian said that I

could start as after January 1st. I ended up officially starting on January 10 since I was going to

be out of town before that when I first started it was a tad bit slow since no one knew that I was

there to help besides the librarians I also used their computers for a couple of minutes to get the

hang of what they could do and they couldn’t since the library computers were set so that no

could change settings or delete files or folders. I then started helping people who requested help

from the librarians when it had to do with the computers. Examples were people who were

getting their library card for the first time so that they could access the computers as well as

people who didn’t know how to use the library printer. After time passed I changed my schedule
for my hours since me and the librarian decided that my first schedule was at a time where only a

small amount of people would be at the library and I also decided to make a flyer that would

show the times that I would be at the library. After that there was a tad bit more people who

would come in and ask for help though around that time the principal librarian and I realized that

the group of seniors she said would normally come in on Friday mornings weren’t coming in

since the beginning of the year and that they probably had stop since this was the longest she had

seen them not showing up. I was disappointed in the news since that's the group I was hoping to

help the most and since there would be times where the library was still deserted and didn’t feel

like I was holding up to my goals. Hoping to help more I let them know that I would stick around

tell my course was over even if my thirty hours were already complete. Which I’m glad I did

since on Wednesdays and Fridays an English class was being taught here at the library and I let

the teacher know and she told me to go and introduce myself to her class. After I did I regretted

it because her students actually wanted help on certain computer sections like powerpoint and

email problems. I just wish I had known sooner so I could have told them ahead of time so I

could help them without worrying about my next class starting and being too busy to help them

with any more of their problems. As for the service I provided was computer assistance which

varied from using the computer to needing help with their emails, being able to save or get stuff

from their usb, and learning the basics in powerpoint. As for if I completed my goal I think I did

but not to the extent that I wish I could have since the seniors never showed up and as well as

that at times no one would need help or show up but I guess that was to be expected since it

depended on the community and if they saw the flyer and if they needed help.

The impact I think I achieved in terms of knowledge at my site is that here at the library

everyone gets treated the same kindness as long as they follow the rules and aren’t disruptive to
the rest of the people at the library. Whether it be wealthy or poor everyone is welcome and is

allowed to rent books, audio books, movies and use the computers as long as they have their

library card. The main patrons at the library were mostly Hispanic children and elder Caucasians

after that it varied with only a few Asian, African American, and Indian but from what I saw they

were all treated exactly the same but the people that I mainly ended up helping was the Hispanics

and Caucasians only. Though to me it didn’t matter what race they were since I was just there to

help anyone that needed it.

What I learned personally and technologically while doing my hours here at my service

site was that quite a lot of people in town don’t have computers at home or internet. Another

thing is that the internet isn’t that great either from what I heard from people using the computers

at the library they said: “Some people in town don’t have internet or the internet at home is to

slow to us.” Which I agree a lot of people in town here are field workers so some can’t afford the

internet and even if they do at times the internet is too slow to use at times. As for experience, I

learned a bit in teaching others and in patience since things don’t always go the way you want

them to or expect them too. As for recommendations to future students, I would have to say that

talk to a school first and see if they have any computer classes that they are teaching after school

since that would be a lot more consistent and you would know exactly when people will show

up. As for if they are deciding to do their service hours at the library be sure to make a flyer

before starting or as soon as possible and be sure to talk to the staff at the library to see if there

are any classes being taught there and if there are don’t be afraid to ask the teachers if you can

present yourself so you can tell his class what your teaching and if they are interested and your

availability. I think it would be something good for them to do that way they don’t waste any

time for your information to spread. As for my evaluation for my service site I think it’s a good
place if you want to help but I’m not sure if its the best place sadly to do your service hours since

it all depends on the community honestly and there are times where you might not help anyone

or no one well need help with anything besides basic stuff. Though they were very friendly and

helpful and I think the staff and library is a great place it’s just complicated because of the

community. I liked the time I spent at the library helping the people of the community and the

assisting the library staff Ijust wish I could have helped more people.