Figure 1. How can 4-H programs potentially help rural libraries?
| Proposed Solutions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenges | ICT Skills & Experience | Community Engagement | Willingness | |
| Staff-related challenges | Lack of staff | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Collaboration – Willingness to explore new partnerships |
| Lack of awareness about tech | Access – Access to ICT resources/training Awareness – Awareness of the dangers of ICTs and motivation to educate the community on responsible tech use Skills – Ability to use collaborative software – Competence with social media – Ability to use a wide range of software – Using technology for agricultural solutions Training – Ability to teach the purpose and uses of ICTs for addressing specific problems | Training – Confidence in ability to train others – Willingness to offer training/programming | Finances – Access to grants/funding Technology – Willingness to engage with new technologies |
|
| Overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities | Access – Access to ICT resources/training Skills – Ability to use collaborative software – Competence with social media – Ability to use a wide range of software – Using technology for agricultural solutions | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Collaboration – Willingness to explore new partnerships |
|
| Inability to answer patron questions | Access – Access to ICT resources/training Skills – Ability to use collaborative software – Competence with social media – Ability to use a wide range of software – Using technology for agricultural solutions Training – Ability to teach the purpose and uses of ICTs for addressing specific problems | Training – Confidence in ability to train others – Willingness to offer training/programming | Technology – Willingness to engage with new technologies |
|
| Lack of ideas | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships – Strategies for mitigating distractions of technology and enhancing the ability to focus | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Limited experience | Access – Access to ICT resources/training Awareness – Awareness of the dangers of ICTs and motivation to educate the community on responsible tech use Skills – Ability to use collaborative software – Competence with social media – Ability to use a wide range of software – Using technology for agricultural solutions | Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Partnerships / Lack of collaborations | Unable to leverage partnerships | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Collaboration – Willingness to collaborate with public libraries – Willingness to explore new partnerships – Building on partnerships with government agencies Finances – Access to grants/funding |
| Lack of relationships with specific local stakeholders | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Empathy – Familiarity and empathy for farmworkers’ challenges Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Collaboration – Willingness to collaborate with public libraries – Willingness to explore new partnerships – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
|
| Community-related challenges | Lack of farming experience | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Empathy – Familiarity and empathy for farmworkers’ challenges Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Cannot be addressed by 4-H |
| Lack of awareness about minority farmworkers | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Empathy – Familiarity and empathy for farmworkers’ challenges Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Lack of mechanisms to identify and serve farming-related patrons | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Empathy – Familiarity and empathy for farmworkers’ challenges Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Inability or lack of desire of patrons to access the library | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Empathy – Familiarity and empathy for farmworkers’ challenges Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships – Strategies for mitigating distractions of technology and enhancing the ability to focus | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Unpredictable nature of attendance | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Not to get discouraged by low attendance | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Patrons unaware of library and its services — awareness about libraries | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Outreach | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – Low-tech (conventional methods of) outreach | Collaboration – Willingness to explore new partnerships – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
|
| Patrons’ perception of library | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Promotion – Ability to articulate the value of tech literacy for farmworkers – Ability to articulate the value of libraries to rural communities Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local community – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Serving patrons who cannot read | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships – Strategies for mitigating distractions of technology and enhancing the ability to focus | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | |
| Inability to meet the patron needs | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Collaboration – Willingness to explore new partnerships |
|
| Technology-related challenges | Constantly learning new tech solutions | Access – Access to ICT resources/training Awareness – Awareness of the dangers of ICTs and motivation to educate the community on responsible tech use Skills – Ability to use collaborative software – Competence with social media – Ability to use a wide range of software – Using technology for agricultural solutions Training – Ability to teach the purpose and uses of ICTs for addressing specific problems | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Technology – Willingness to engage with new technologies |
| Tech infrastructure | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Finances – Access to grants/funding |
|
| External factors | External resistance | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local gov’t | Collaboration – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
| Lack of willingness of government | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local gov’t | Collaboration – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
|
| Library as a low priority service | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local gov’t | Collaboration – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
|
| Apathy toward libraries | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local gov’t | Collaboration – Building on partnerships with government agencies |
|
| Finance | Funding: Access | Cannot be addressed by 4-H | Strategies – The partnership with 4-H can enhance the image and value of rural libraries perceived by local gov’t – Leveraging pre-existing partnerships | Collaboration – Willingness to explore new partnerships – Building on partnerships with government agencies Finances – Access to grants/funding |