Earlier this year, the Library reached out to survey Brattleboro’s residents, to learn if the technology services the Library provides fulfill local tech needs sufficiently, and to help the Library anticipate future areas where the community needs services expanded.
The results were enlightening, sometimes surprising.
First, the statistics: Number of responses: 117
Overall satisfaction: 83.6% responded they found the Library’s services “Very Good” to “Excellent”.
The top Library resources used were:
- Free public Wi-Fi: 46.7%
- Printing, copying & scanning: 39%
- One-on-one direct tech assistance: 31.4%
- Public computers and laptops: 26.7%
Primary needs identified by the respondents were access to advanced software for graphic and photo editing and writing code (40.8%) and more public computers (21%).
65.8% of respondents showed interest in attending tech classes and workshops at the Library. The most requested topics were:
- How to use eBook, audiobook & streaming video services: 45.7%
- Internet safety and password management: 24.7%
- Setting up and organizing email: 11%
Here is a quick rundown of the tech services the Library already provides to the community:
At the Library:
- Free public Wi-Fi.
- Publicly available computers and laptops to use in the library.
- Printers, copiers and scanners.
- Lendable tablets for kids to read engage with curated educational games.
Content from the comfort of your home:
- The electronic catalog, with a full index of the Library’s holdings in all media and throughout a consortium of 23 member libraries. Patrons can reserve materials from home and pick them up later at the library.
- Free access to tens of thousands of eBooks
- Thousands of free newspapers and magazines subscription-free
- Free streaming of thousands of films and TV shows, ad-free.
Technology knowledge, support and training – residents come to the Library for help on
- How to use your smartphone
- How to install and configure apps
- How to keep your email inbox efficient
- How to keep your Internet experience safe and free of pesky hackers.
Users of all ages are invited to stop in and avail themselves of a full range of tech and knowledge anytime during Library hours.