Head Tale

So I consider myself a fairly tech-savvy individual.

I’ve been using computers since I was ten years old.  The first computer I used regularly was a Commodore-64.  I sent my first e-mail in 1995 and designed my first web site in 1997. I’ve since designed numerous web sites and even got paid to produce many of them. I published the first article about Facebook in CLA’s Feliciter magazine.  I’ve blogged for nearly ten years.  I have a five digital MetaFilter user number (which should’ve been four digits if I hadn’t visited the site as a lurker for so long.)  I’ve been on Reddit for seven years.

So occasionally when an e-book help session doesn’t go the way I want at the library, I’m inclined to think that maybe, just maybe, it’s not me.  I hate to admit that instead of hitting 100% in terms of helping people, I’m probably around 75% (and some days it feels like 50-50 as to whether I’m able to give people the help they need.)

Yesterday I was 0 for 2 in helping people with their e-readers and that inspired this list…

TEN REASONS E-BOOK HELP SESSIONS CAN GO OFF THE RAILS 

1. The patron doesn’t know their password.  Or that they have a password.  Or what a password is.
There are a few passwords you’ll likely need before you get started – maybe an account on the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.  Or maybe you’ve already set-up an account with Adobe but have forgotten that you’ve done so.  The number of times that my sessions begin with a game of “guess the password” is amazing.  “Oh, but then can’t you just click “Forgot Password” and have it e-mailed to you” I hear you ask?  Well, then they usually need to know the password to their e-mail account since e-mail’s not set-up on their iDevice.  And the cycle continues…

2. The patron has a slow and/or outdated computer 
For many dedicated e-readers/iPods/MP3 players, the patron can’t just bring the actual device.  They need to also bring in a computer that they’ll use to tether to their e-reader so they can transfer downloaded books from the computer to the reader.  Luckily, at least most patrons have laptops in this day and age (although that didn’t stop one patron from bringing their entire tower to a help session when I worked for Southeast Regional Library.)  But then, often, the laptop is old or really slow or both.  (One does not follow the other – old computers tend to be slow in general but I’ve seen new computers so loaded down with add-ons and malware and “free” software that I’m almost afraid to touch them, lest I catch a virus myself!)

3. Slow and/or Unreliable Internet
You’d expect a public library in the year 2014 to have strong, consistent wireless Internet available.  You’d be wrong.  Often our wireless is spotty.  Or doesn’t do well where the patron has set-up all their equipment because they arrived ten minutes early for their appointment, sat down in the one dead spot in the entire library and then you have to tell them – “Sorry but I’ll have to move you to a table closer to the router.  The Internet doesn’t work well at this table for some reason.”  Or simply the amount of small talk you have to do as you wait for Adobe Digital Editions to download – a file that might come down in thirty seconds but might take five minutes or more.  More than once, I’ve pulled out my iPhone and enabled the local hotspot feature to speed the process when the library’s wifi is giving me grief.

4. Outdated Software
I get excited when people bring in iPads because those are usually the most straightforward set-ups and help sessions.  As long as you can download the app (See #1), its usually smooth sailing from there.  So it’s rare but occasionally you get stopped in your tracks when you flip on the iPad and see that it’s still got iOS4 on it (Apple’s up to iOS7 for those who are counting.)  The app store actually pops up a “Ha ha!” message when you go to download an app with that old of an operating system and for good measure, the patron brought in their device with a whopping 7% showing as the remaining battery life as well so I’m not sure how long they expected our session to last but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t going to be that long!

5. Weird Tech
To save money, you would be amazed at how many families manage to give their parents the gift of reading – in the form of e-readers that are apparently purchased on the black market from Russia or China.  So in addition to all the other usual barriers, you might find yourself trying to navigate a completely unfamiliar operating environment in a language you likely don’t understand!

6. Lack of Patron Knowledge About and Comfort With Technology
I know it comes from a good place but please, children of elderly parents, don’t buy your parents or grandparents an e-reader for Christmas because “they like reading”.  If they’re not computer savvy enough to at least navigate to a web site, use a search engine, or download a program and install it, you’re probably better off getting them a gift certificate to Chapters so they can buy a good, old-fashioned paper book.  (Or just get them a gift certificate to Swiss Chalet or Perkins because that’s what they really want!)   How bad can it be?  I knew I was in for a long one when a recent patron told me she’d gotten her Kobo Vox as a Christmas gift from her daughter but hadn’t figured it out yet as “she wasn’t sure how to get past the Lock icon when she turned it on.”  Oh, and also, “Do you know what Android mean?”  (I decided to skip my usual much-simplified instruction about DRM, book licensing, and copyright at that point and focus on showing her how to just turn her tablet on and open an application as a first step, let alone downloading apps and setting up accounts to download books from the library!)

7. Weird Glitches
My all-time favourite was during one of my first e-book help sessions at RPL where everything went right until the very last step when the book simply refused to transfer from the patron’s computer to their e-reader.  I tried everything I could think of before throwing myself at the mercy of a more knowledgeable co-worker.  “Oh, I’ve seen that before,” she said, going to to explain that “if the e-reader doesn’t have the date and time set correctly, the file won’t transfer.”  Oh, of course…   Recently, I had a very smooth e-book help session with a patron – everything installed, set-up, book downloaded, transferred, confirmed – all good.  That’s when I made the cardinal mistake of asking “Did you want to download one more book to make sure you’ve got the steps down?”  Of course, something went wrong the second time and when we transferred the book to her e-reader, it showed up with a black box instead of a cover and a message that the file was protected by DRM – even though the first book transferred with no problem and I confirmed the devices were properly authorized.  Cue an additional thirty minutes as I try everything I can think of to troubleshoot this unexpected error  – all to no avail.

8.  The Patron “Helps” You
I understand the desire of patrons to be protective of their devices and not want you to download the wrong thing or move an icon that they’re very attached to or whatever.  And I understand that, for some people, doing rather than watching, is the way they learn best.  But there’s nothing so frustrating as a patron who’s trying to move the mouse around while you’re typing on their laptop.  Or randomly tapping apps open while you’re trying to scroll to the right place for the app you actually need.

9.  I’m Not Even Supposed To Be Here!
An ongoing – and yet unresolved – debate in our public library (and I’m sure many others) is exactly how far we go with our tech help.  Do we only instruct people in the e-services that the library offers?  Do we give basic tech support such as how to use a mouse/use Google/surf the Net?  And where do you draw the line?  (To re-use an earlier example, should I have upgraded that lady’s iOS knowing that was part of what was required to get to the point I could help her download e-books?  Or is that crossing a line into something more suited for the teenager who lives next door and could really use the $10 you pay them to do it for you?)  😉

10.  Even When It All Goes Smoothly, They Have to Be Able To Replicate It On Their Own
You have a great session.  Everything works perfectly.  You’ve talked really slowly through each step.  The patron seems to get it.  You give them a handout the library has carefully crafted to show them step-by-step what they need to do (another ongoing argument – how much detail should these handouts have?  I’m almost to the point that you almost need two – one bare bones, single page one that only focuses on the core steps after basic set-up is already done and one, in-depth, text-heavy five or ten pager that shows all the possible steps including screen shots, arrows and lots of 18pt bold-face type – again, recognizing different people have very different learning styles.)  So you’ve done it all, it’s all gone smoothly and then you get a call the next day “I thought I had it but I got home and couldn’t get it to work.  Can I come see you again next week?” <sigh>