Community Corner

New Library Grant to Make Tech Use E-asier For Older Residents

The library hopes to start a Gadget Guru desk at the end of January.

Westborough residents ages 50 and older struggling with their eReaders can get help at the Westborough Public Library soon.

The library hopes to start a Gadget Guru desk at the end of January, Adult Services Librarian Donna Martel says.

A "Discover Your Next Chapter: Lifelong Learning at the Westborough Public Library" grant funded through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, with federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, will support this and other programs geared toward older Westborough residents, Martel says.

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The library is partnering with the Friends of the Westborough Library, the Westborough Woman's Club and Westborough TV in the venture, according to a library press release.

Volunteers will be trained to staff the Gadget Guru desk, where, by appointment only, they initially will help people download books through the library network on eReaders, Martel says.

Find out what's happening in Westboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Eventually, we'll expand it to help people with databases, if they want to use some of our library databases," she says.

The library also will offer hands-on computer classes on such topics as Facebook and Pinterest, using six laptops the Friends bought for the library, Martel says.

Martel says she has visited several retirement communities in Westborough "and asked them what type of things they would be interested in."

"We're hoping we can do one-on-on computer help, group computer classes, eReaders, databases, all kinds of technology," she says.


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