Adopt a Computer Program for Public Libraries

On the MaintainIT blog, guest blogger Bess Haile has a delightful story about her library's new approach to budgeting for public computers. Her library's Adopt-a-Computer program is a simple way for friends of the library to show their support for free computer access.

Even more important than the program was the realization that led Bess to it: that if public computers could stay as a permanent part of the library's services, maintenance and upgrades needed to budgeted for, not just handled on an emergency basis.

Don't miss the comments at the end of the post, where Bess gives some success stories. She describes patrons walking into the library in tears saying, "I've never used a computer before and I need to apply for Social Security." She says that her staff used to dread helping people like that, but that with a new attitude toward public computing, now they love serving those people.

If you haven't already, don't forget to check out MaintainIT's fantastic new cookbook, Planning for Success, which has tips not only for libraries, but for any organization with public computers.