Service Learning Proposal ​Aaron Newman

Service Learning Proposal

Beale Memorial Library

Aaron Newman

Course Name: CST 361 Technology Tutors

Instructor Name: Cassandra Humphrey

May 16, 2019

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Service Learning Proposal ​Aaron Newman

I. Executive Summary

The Beale Memorial Library branch is one of Kern County’s 24 library locations. The

Beale location offers a wide range of services targeted at Kern County residents including

but not limited to children’s books, audio/visual rentals, adult literature, educational

literature, STEM tutoring, GED preparation, SAT preparation, and computer coaching.

The service learner will assist the Beale branch by volunteering 4-8 hours each week as a

computer coach. Computer coaches are in high demand throughout all Kern County

libraries, and with the help of the service learner, the library will be announcing this

service publicly through online outreach forums and advertisements. This document

describes the needs, strategy, goals, and target audience that Beale Library branch

services and requires. The service learner will be working alongside the volunteer

coordinators and the computer lab department in order to provide effective and lasting

solutions for its customers. The goal for this partnership is to bridge the technological

divide in the local community. Through the sections discussed in this proposal, the

service learner will be directly impacting the local community and provide a completely

free service in an attempt to see this goal fulfilled. With a highly structured and

methodological approach, the Beale Memorial Library will benefit from the service

learner’s assistance and build a better more connected community.

II. Service Learner Introduction

● Name: Aaron Newman

● Contact Info:

○ 501 Taylor St Apt 44

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Service Learning Proposal ​Aaron Newman

○ (661) 410-9543

○ anewman@csumb.edu

● School: California State University Monterey Bay

● Student Status: Junior

● Major: Computer Science

● Experience: Current I.T. and internet installation professional.

III. Agency Introduction

The service learner is a volunteer at Beale Memorial Library which is located at 701

Truxtun Ave in Bakersfield California. The company’s website can be found at

http://www.kerncountylibrary.org/​. The coordinators for the volunteer program at Beale

Library are Theresa and Ashley, both of whom may be reached at (661) 868-0701. Beale

Memorial Library is 1 of Kern County’s 24 libraries that provide services to Kern County

residents and the local communities. The Bakersfield community hosts 7 branches, Beale

Library being 1 of those 7. Other communities that Kern County Libraries service are

Arvin, Boron, Buttonwillow, California City, Delano, Frazier Park, Lake Isabella,

Lamont, McFarland, Mojave, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Wasco,

and Wofford Heights. The Kern County Library’s mission is “To build community and

cultivate opportunities for Kern County residents, by connecting people, ideas,

information, and technology”. The Beale Library branch is in desperate need of computer

coaches who can assist their customers in everyday computing tasks such as web

browsing, email, database tools, Microsoft Office, and more. The service learner is in a

position to provide help in bridging the technological divide for Bakersfield residents by

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Service Learning Proposal ​Aaron Newman

volunteering 4-8 hours each week at the Beale Library location. The primary benefactors

of the service learner will be the Kern County residents who either have no access to

personal computers or are in need of tutoring to advance their understanding of modern

technology.

IV. Community Introduction

In an interview with Theresa Becker, Beale’s volunteer coordinator, the service learner

asked a series of questions pertaining to the general demographics of its customers, the

impact the Library has on the community, and in what ways the service learner can help

in achieving their mission. A summary of Theresa’s responses are as follows:

● Demographics: The primary demographics that the service learner can

expect to engage with are low income, often homeless, individuals who

are in need of computer access to keep in touch with loved ones, or stay up

to date with their state assisted aid. Most of these individuals do not own a

personal computer and therefore are not familiar with the way the IOT

works and as a result struggle to use computers and smartphones.

● The Library's Community Impact: Kern County libraries are the central

hub for the previously mentioned demographic to come and use the

provided computer labs to connect with the rest of the world, and stay on

top of their state and federal paperwork/obligations. In addition to this

primary demographic, many customers simply come for the resources

provided, such as trained librarians, computer coaches, and large scale

databases. The Kern County Library also provides STEM tutoring for

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elementary school children as well as GED study courses and SAT prep

courses. The library offers something for everyone in the community to

benefit from.

● Needs of the Community Over the Years: In the last decade there has been

a rise in the need for new technology for the library. For example, the

library has a new computer lab that was provided by the state in 2015, and

now offers Microsoft Office classes once a month. In addition to the need

for computers, the Beale Library branch has decided to no longer collect

newspapers, phone books, and National Geographic prints due to the rise

of online databases and internet resources. Beale Memorial Library is a

member of 5 online databases that are accessible to all library patrons, 1 of

which is specific to kern county; the ValleyCat database. Although this

branch does not have its own print-to-digital scanner, Theresa mentioned

that there are talks about obtaining one for this particular branch in the

coming years. Aside from the technological needs, the Kern County

library system is constantly in need of staff members and volunteers to

provide assistance to new and existing community programs.

● Where the Service Learner Comes in: The service learner will be

fundamental in helping the library achieve its mission of connecting

people, ideas, information, and technology by providing computer and

technological assistance to those in need. In this new age computers are

the backbone to education, business, and social networking. By providing

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technology tutoring services the service learner will be directly impacting

the Kern County residents in their attempt to navigate this exciting and

revolutionary form of information distribution.

V. Project Description

The Kern County Libraries are in need of computer coaches to help its customers use and

understand modern computing practices. The service learner will provide hands on

assistance to the library customers in order to teach them basic computing tools such as

Microsoft Office, web browsers, database retrieval tools, resume building, and email to

name a few. The goal of this project is to help bridge the technological divide in the local

community. The service learner plans on achieving this goal by providing 4-8 hours each

week of in person, hands on assistance at the Beale Memorial Library branch. All

required material is being provided by the library and in addition, the service learner will

also have a laptop on hand for customers in need of advanced tutoring on more complex

topics that the library does not offer. The library currently uses a tracking system to log

every individual that has received help from the computer coaches. With this tool, the

service learner will be able to accurately gage how successful the services being provided

have been and may alter the approach as needed.

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