For many people, the devices in their pockets and on their desks can be as frustrating as they are useful. At the San Benito County Free Library, however, a team of patient staff members and dedicated volunteers is helping bridge the digital divide—offering free one-on-one assistance to residents with questions about laptops, tablets and smartphones, and turning confusion over technology into confidence.
During the late morning of March 17, Tami Aviles, John Miranda and Leanne Oliveira were stationed in a room off the entrance with laptops at hand, ready to help anyone who needed some assistance.
Hollister resident Hermina Flores came in needing help navigating how to scan from an app on her phone and how to obtain and print a list of her prescriptions. Aviles, president of the Santa Cruz and San Benito counties Seniors Council and a member of the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library, aided Flores in her quest to learn more.
“This helps,” Flores said. “Now I understand what’s what. I learned some stuff today.”
Aviles said the free program began as a partnership between the Seniors Council and the Library. Now in its second year, the library has taken over the running of the program.
“Our goal is inclusion, not isolation,” Aviles said.
Miranda said each session is different.
“Sometimes there’s a lot of people who need help and we need more tech help, and sometimes it’s really slow,” he said. “But I think this is a great program.”
By the end of the session, what began as a handful of questions about apps, passwords and printers had turned into a small room full of quiet victories—screens understood, settings adjusted and a little more confidence gained. For library staff and volunteers, those moments are the point: helping neighbors navigate the digital world one question at a time.
The next free Tech Help session takes place 10:30am-noon on April 21 at the San Benito County Free Library, 470 Fifth Street, in Hollister.
For more information, visit sbcfl.org.
