Empowering Intergenerational Digital Literacy
Description:
A lack of access, confidence, and skills keeps many older
adults from connecting digitally. This webinar focuses on how public
libraries—while offering approaches that are also adaptable to academic and
other institutional settings—can strengthen community impact and library
operations with digital literacy programs using a combination of instruction,
outreach, and volunteer engagement. The session highlights how these programs
can also serve as a vehicle for developing staff leadership and management skills
through program design, coordination, and evaluation. Participants will learn
how program coordinators can lead workshops, coordinate outreach services,
manage teen and senior volunteers, and sustain programs long-term, thus
building both professional skills and operational experience. Participants will
be able to empower patrons with the tools needed to effectively use digital
technology and navigate a digital landscape. Attendees will also explore tools
and technology used to measure a program's effectiveness, such as surveys and
volunteer tracking systems, and learn how the public and communities can
collaborate with library technical services for data collection, analysis, and
reporting. Attendees will leave with a model for designing scalable, sustainable,
and measurable programs that strengthen both library operations and community
impact.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Design sustainable and measurable digital literacy programs that strengthen library operations and community impact.
- Identify tools and technology used to measure a program's effectiveness, such as surveys and volunteer tracking systems.
- Develop leadership skills through coordinating intergenerational digital literacy programs, outreach to homebound individuals and underserved communities, and volunteer management.
Who Should Attend:Program coordinators and managers,
adult services librarians and outreach staff, Youth services librarians and
teen volunteer coordinators, Library administrators interested in community
impact and program evaluation.
Presenters:
Alexis Lawrence, MS, is an Adult Librarian at Wood
Library in Canandaigua, New York, where she leads adult services, community
partnerships, and technology education initiatives. With degrees in Information
and Library Science, Psychology, and Health Science, Alexis brings an
interdisciplinary perspective to public library service. She is a New York
State Certified Public Librarian and a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Counselor, which supports her work with vulnerable and underserved populations.
Alexis develops digital literacy initiatives and collaborative service models
that expand access to resources, services, and partnerships while strengthening
libraries’ ability to serve diverse communities.
Tech Requirements
Core Webinars are held in Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. The webcast will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrants shortly after the live event.