Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-06-13T14:54:43Z

Pilar,

Aqui te envio algunas noticias acerca de las clases de computacion publicadas por el diario mas importante del Medioeste de USA.

Do you speak computer?
Hispanics get helpful boost into English-dominated digital world

By John Keilman
Tribune staff reporter
Published June 13, 2005
In a darkened community room at the Des Plaines Public Library, Hector Marino tells his students to fire up Microsoft Paint on their borrowed laptop computers. It's the perfect way, he says in Spanish, to get some practice with el raton.

That means "the mouse," one of many translations Marino uses to make the world of computing, which is dominated by English, more comprehensible for his Spanish-speaking students. The desktop is el escritorio. E-mail, he says, is correo electronico. And to get from one Web page to another, he tells them: haz un clic.

"It's a challenge for them. But we try to make it easy," Marino said. "We use the very basics. They don't need to create PowerPoint presentations. They need basic things--to save, erase, copy and paste. We're trying to teach them the essentials."

A growing number of Spanish speaking people are interested in joining the digital realm, hoping to stay in touch with overseas relatives, get ahead at work and keep up with what their kids are learning. That's testing the ingenuity of computer instructors trying to teach a subject whose technical terms can be hard to grasp even without a language barrier.

"It's double the effort," said Mauricio Blanco, who teaches at the computer center of Onward Neighborhood House in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. "All the software, all the programs are in English."

The latest federal statistics show that only 1 in 3 Hispanics uses the Internet, the lowest rate of any ethnic group covered by the report. The percentage is slowly climbing, but Andy Carvin of the Digital Divide Network, an advocacy group based in Newton, Mass., said the gap remains a problem.

"The issue of the `digital divide' is based on whether all people have equal opportunities to improve their quality of life," he said. "A lot of people may think of the Internet as a place to check the latest sports scores. But for a lot of people, it's a lifeline to get training for job prospects, help their kids' education or stay connected with their family."

The first step toward reaping online benefits is figuring out the essentials of working with a computer. While it's possible to customize the machines with a Spanish-language interface, the vast majority of computers sold in stores or available in public places use English menus and commands.

That's why organizations like the Poder Learning Center pair computer instruction with English lessons. The Pilsen-based adult education group doesn't hand out Spanish-English cheat sheets or translate the vocabulary of computing as students learn to navigate Windows.

"When we introduce the technology, we introduce it in English," executive director Daniel Loftus said. "Eventually, you'll need to know those computer terms in English, so let's just attack this head-on."

The West Chicago Public Library in DuPage County sticks with the bilingual approach with its computer classes for Spanish speakers. Librarian Jennifer Winter said that, language aside, the main problem for her students--many of whom are middle age or older--is getting comfortable with a machine that, to the uninitiated, can seem as impenetrable as Esperanto.

"For anyone who didn't grow up in the computer culture, I think it's equally confusing in any language," she said. "People who are 25 or so, who have had computers in school since the day they started, it's not even a hurdle for them."

Indeed, gaining insight into their kids' technology is a big reason Hispanic parents have crowded computer classes at Maine West High School in Des Plaines over the last five years.

An English-speaking teacher usually leads the 15- to 20-person classes, with an aide serving as interpreter. Sheila Rudden-Shorey, a social worker at the school, said the classes attract parents who want to understand what their children are doing at school.

"Most of them realize that it's the way of the future," she said. "You can see homework assignments, e-mail teachers. They see their children as young as five and six being exposed to it. That's a big motivation."

Spanish-speaking parents in Chicago can also take classes through the public schools, learning everything from how to navigate the desktop to the finer points of video editing.

"When they come out of it, they're going to know a lot more than most of the people in school buildings," said Jesus Esquivel, who designed the program at the Bilingual Parent Resource Center in Pilsen.

He said that in the fall, the school system plans to expand the program to other languages, including Polish, Chinese and Arabic.

Hector Marino has become an old hand at leading computer classes in Spanish. He estimates he has taught 1,000 students since 2000, when the Des Plaines Library began offering the courses, and he recently conducted a workshop for 20 other libraries interested in setting up similar programs.

In one recent class, a warm-up with Microsoft Paint led to exercises with PowerPoint and Web surfing. Most of the seven students had little trouble following along--one woman even began checking flights to Mexico on a travel Web site as Marino tutored others on the mechanics of cutting and pasting. Araceli Aguilar, 39, of Niles said playing games used to be her only activity on the computer. Then her son, a Marine, went to Iraq.

"I couldn't communicate with him," she said. "That's why I needed to learn how to use it."

Along with e-mail, the library's program covers topics from word processing to hooking up cameras and scanners. It's no more than the basics, but it's enough to demystify the machine, from teclado (keyboard) to pantalla (monitor).

"I hear good stories that people are able to send e-mail messages to their families, or they're able to use Google in Spanish to find information," Marino said. "The bottom line is that we want to make them comfortable with technology to access that information. It's extremely important for their lives."

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jkeilman@tribune.com

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T23:42:39Z

Hi Friends,
Rose points out two factors that are key in getting a country moving in the area of internet access. The first is a government program that helps pay the cost of telecommunicaiton. The American e-rate program isn't as much as is needed, but it goes a long way toward stablizing the cost and availability of internet access.

The second is a non-profit organization, in this case the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that invests in public libraries by providing computers and training.
Too many developing countries have neither leaving the local public libraries to try and fund these on their own or compete for funding at the municipal level with police and roads and schools.

Nancy

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T17:18:52Z

When computers arrive to places where there is such lack of communication with the rest of the country because, for example, they are so isolated that the only way of getting there is by boat, its difficult to image that a library would not think of offering public access computer. BiblioRedes assigned the number of computers to each library taking into account the physical space available, the population being served, and the geographical location of the library. Each library received between 2 and 7 computers, considering that one computer is used by staff to offer reference services.
In the case of Chile, the staff received training from before the computers where installed and we started with basic computer training, but concentrating on using the technology to communicate through e-mail and instant messenger, for example. Again, in places that are geographically isolated or where people do not have other opportunities to have access, they value the access and the help they receive at a pubic library. At least that has been our experience thus far.
Does anyone have information about public access computer program in libraries in other Latin American or underdeveloped countries? We would love to hear about those experiences.

Pilar

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T16:27:14Z

Nancy, you bring up another vital aspect of introducing public access computing --funding and the question of fees for service. It is such a foundational principle of public libraries in the US to provide free access to information that it sounds a bit heretical to us to suggest charging for computer time. Which means the money has to come from sonewhere else.

In many countries, Internet cafés are the primary source of access, where customers pay for time. Those who cannot afford it fall to the bottom of the digital divide. It is the mission of our free public library system to address that divide, but even here we are struggling with the financial demands that entails.

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T15:40:50Z

Hi Friends,
I don't think I was very clear in my opening statement. The article I was referring to that Betha linked to has to do with our U.S. State Department funded project called the American Bulgarian Library Exchange or ABLE. To prepare for this event, I queried all of the libraries we are working with in Bulgaria and asked them for their experience in public access computing. My article summarizes their responses. I hope some of them will contribute to this forum and I may share some of their original comments as well.

Nancy

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T15:35:02Z

Thanks so much for providing Stewart's article about his research. My work has been mostly with Bulgaria and I agree with his research and his model. I have three thoughts I would like to share.

First, I think there is a gap between libraries that HAVE internet access and those that OFFER it to the public. I see more and more libraries getting one or more computers and internet access but keeping if first for staff. This is a library policy issue that needs to be addressed. At what point are enough library staff trained enough to feel comfortable helping people who use the computer? How many computers should a library have before it offers at least one to the public? Should ALL staff get them first before ANY are available for the public? I would love to know the thoughts from some of our international librarians.

Second, I know that when Internet first came to Bulgaria, some town officials saw this as an income producing area for the local public libraries to off set the cost. Over time that seems to be changing. Since it's usually those least likely to afford computers who want to use them in the library, it seems counterproductive to charge them. This, however, might be just an American perspective. Comments are welcome on this issue.

Third, I find it ironic that any European libraries would want to protect children from what's on the Internet when one considers the sex ads that are on commercial TV, some very explicit. I know there's worse on the Internet, yet it still seems strange.

Nancy

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T14:22:12Z

I am so glad to have Nancy and Pilar here to share their rich experiences with public access computing in their respective countries. And I want to welcome Stuart from Copenhagen. Stuart has the broad perspective that comes from having researched library access in many countries. Read about his research in [url http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=10652 ]Barriers to Public Access Computing - A Global View[/url].

There is a lot to talk about on this subject. For the purposes of this event, I am going to split the three main areas that have been identified into separate topics.

I encourage everyone --from professionals in the field to patrons-- to share your own experiences here.

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T13:25:48Z

Greetings from Chile! It gives me great pleasure to also welcome you to this very special forum on Public Access Computing Around the World.
¡Bienvenidos a todos!

My name is Pilar Pacheco and I am charge of the Training Area of the BiblioRedes Project of the Directorate of Libraries, Archives and Museums of Chile. In 2001, the Chilean government received a grant from the Gates Foundation which enabled us to implement 368 public libraries and 17 regional training labs with computers and Internet access in order to provide public access computing and computer training to the community.

Taking into consideration that we have libraries where there is one pay phone for the entire community or where the newspaper arrives once a week, if at all, public access computing has not only transformed the libraries, but the communities as well.

As successful as this project has been, it has also faced many challenges, which are probably very similar to the challenges faced by those of you who provide this service.

Therefore, I encourage you to participate in this very interesting conversation so that we can exchange ideas, questions and suggestions and comment on this topic. We would like to concentrate, however, on the three areas of focus for the discussion previously mentioned by Nancy and Betha.

To start the conversation, I can tell you that public libraries in Chile, that are part of the BiblioRedes network, have been offering digital training courses to their community members since late 2002, and thus far, more than 100.000 people have received training at a public library. This could not have been done, however, without the extensive and permanent training that the library staff has received since the beginning of our project. What about your experience?

Re: WELCOME to the Public Access Computing Around the World online event!

2005-05-10T05:13:10Z

Welcome to our forum on Public Access Computing around the World

I am Nancy Bolt and until April 29th of this year I have been State Librarian in Colorado. I got involved with Bulgaria about 10 years ago when a Bulgarian librarian came and spent 5 months in my library. It led to a long-term opportunity to work with Bulgarian libraries that has been very rewarding. One of the reasons I left the State Librarianship was to spend more time working with international librarians.

Lately, I have been very involved with working with libraries in Bulgaria to change from museums of books to vibrant centers of information. We are currently implementing a grant from the U. S. Department of State to help Bulgarian public libraries become Community Information Centers. (In her opening message, Betha tells you how to link to the article.)

In providing these services, however, Bulgarian libraries face many challenges and Im guessing that libraries in other countries face the same challenges as well. I see these challenges as:
lack of computers and other technology or broken equipment;
lack of or unstable internet connectivity;
lack of staff training or insecurity of staff;
difficulty in informing the public about the librarys service;
the total lack of knowledge of many citizens and their need to learn the very basics.

In this forum we hope to discover:
what public access computing activities are going on around the world
how have you faced and overcome the challenges
what other challenges are you facing that someone might provide some advice

If you have solved any of the problems above or if you are also experience them, I hope you will share your thoughts.

Nancy Bolt