Ask Whatever and SeniorSurf, Finnish ways to spread media literacy /

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Ask Whatever and SeniorSurf, Finnish ways to
spread media literacy /

• Ms. Tuula Haavisto, Senior Library Adviser,
  Helsinki , Finland
• tuulah_at_kaapeli.fi

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• Mass training in mediacy by libraries?!
• Two ideas tested and used in Finland to reach
  larger groups in one time, though the individual
  service is the strong point of libraries

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SeniorSurf, Find your way on Internet

• In 2000-2002, yearly SeniorSurf campaigns were
  organised, to encourage elder citizens to use
  Internet and SMS (Short Message Sending via
  mobile phone). For 2003 and 2005, the campaign
  was refocused it promoted ways to find the
  requested content from Internet.
• Ideological discussions among professionals about
  the focus of mediacy training in libraries and
  provisions of sponsorship

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Ask whatever in radio

• From Autumn 2003, a radio program Ask whatever is
  run in co-operation between Helsinki City Library
  and YLE, the Finnish public service broadcasting
  company. Library staff answers all kinds of
  questions, sent to radio by the listeners.
• The radio program was based on a certain
  preceding development.

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SeniorSurf 2000-2002

• SeniorSurf was oganised by the Finnish Library
  Association, the idea was imported from Sweden,
  financing from the Ministry of Education
• It concentrated on basic skills in using new
  media for an age group which at that time had
  less guidance in accessing new IT skills
• The concrete target was to encourage citizens of
  the age 55 - to get the first touch with
  Internet, - in the two first years, to learn to
  use the SMS (Short Message Sending) function of
  their mobile phones.

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The working forms of the SeniorSurf

• Lectures, personal guidance on how to use the
  web, Internet sources and the SMS, discussions,
  presentations of Internet-based services by e.g.
  banks and municipal officials etc.
• A list of web resources for the librariesweb
  sites offering Internet study packages or other
  good starting points for new-beginners
• A special material to learn to use the mouse
• A special material presented the SMS use
• An extremely popular basic guide Pleasure and
  learning with your computer

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SeniorSurf in numbers

• 170 to 250 participating libraries / year- there
  are ca. 900 public library units in Finland
• 5.000-10.000 participating people per year
• Individual guidance resulted less audience than
  programs based on lectures
• No connection between e.g. the size of the
  community and the participant amount but a clear
  connection between the motivation in the
  participating library amount of work done in
  the library to advertise the event

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Ideological discussions questioned SeniorSurf

• Two sponsors teleoperator Sonera mobile phone
  producer Nokia
• Paid the expensive press advertisements, test
  mobile phones connection time to the
  participating libraries
• ?hot ideological discussion among
  librariansacceptable forms of sponsorship
  named mobile phones and operators should not be
  advertised in any form inside libraries, or the
  participating libraries should get a clear
  payment in cash on it.

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Ideological discussions questioned SeniorSurf 2

• SMS training in libraries SMS is not at all a
  business of libraries, we should concentrate on
  deeper information and knowledge. If there is
  need to teach SMS, it is up to other
  institutions.
• For our partners, National Research and
  Development Centre for Welfare and Health, and
  organisations of senior citizens, SMS is first of
  all a potential safety equipment for elderly
  people- public institutions responsible to train
  seniors to use it - public libraries due to
  their easy access excellent venues to learn SMS
  skills- non-commercial context in public
  libraries compare to a short training by a young
  salesman in a shop

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Where did we end up? Sponsorship

• Opinions of the participating libraries were
  collected in 2000. - 62 (133) of the
  participants returned the form- Majority saw
  that the press campaign and availability of test
  phones on the campaign day was a balanced price
  for allowing visibility to commercial enterprises
  in libraries for one day. - Only one of the
  answerers gave negative feedback, and in her own
  name, not on behalf of the library

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• The arguing also led the Min.of Education to
  produce a short guide for sponsorship in public
  libraries. The English version is available on
  Internet http//www.minedu.fi/minedu/culture/libra
  ry/english/information.html

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Where did we end up? SMS

• The result of the discussion remained partly
  open. - The participating libraries we took
  part in a mediacy enlargement project. The
  critics still remained no library resources
  should be used for such purposes. Literacy and
  reading campaings should be prioritized in public
  libraries.
• However, out of e.g. the 5-7 yearly campaigns of
  the Finnish Library Association, 3-4 concentrate
  on literacy and reading, one in mediacy (like
  SeniorSurf) and the rest on varying topics.

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Find your way on Internet,2003 and 2005

• In 2003, the campaign day oriented towards a
  larger target audience not-so-experienced-Interne
  t-user adults
• A narrower scope concentrated on presenting
  guidance to existing Internet resources
• Why the change the SeniorSurf idea had fulfilled
  its purpose.
• Many other actors offered possibilities to this
  group. Seniors and Internet had even become a
  very fashionable topic in journals, adult
  education institutions and TV programs

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Working forms in 2003

• Link libraries, search engines, other search
  possibilities and basic portals of public
  services were presented via lectures and
  individual guidance
• A tabloid of 16 pages was disseminated, including
  articles, interviews and short infos on web
  resources
• 10 training days for 420 library staff members
  around the country trends of the Internet
  development and web searching

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Half-success

• Library programs from lectures for
  schoolchildrens' parents to e-book and local
  congregation web page presentations.
• There were ca. 3.500 participants in 150 public
  libraries.
• The feedback showed, that this time the target
  audience was too undefined
• Feedback also suggested to create an Internet
  policy for Finnish public libraries. The idea is
  still under work.
• In 2004 no Internet day in libraries
• In 2005, Find your way on Internet again,
  strongly concentrating on public web information
  and training of librarians

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Ask whatever, the radio program

• Ask about nature - since the 70s a very popular
  radio programme in Finland
• a simple structure listeners send questions,
  biologists and other specialists answer
• According to this model, an idea was developed
  librarians can answer questions not only in
  libraries and virtually, but also via the radio

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Background elements in libraries

• The mobile service unit of Helsinki City Library
  iGS, information Gas Station the unit with its
  staff can be located to serve people on railway
  stations, shopping malls, fairs etc.
• a banner on the roof Ask whatever
• questions can be asked and answered on-site, via
  phone, SMS, or e-mail
• all the questions and answers are saved in an
  open databank, which can be used via the web

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• From the point of view of the radio program, the
  iGS team is the important element. - ca. 10
  professionals from different branches of the
  Helsinki City Library. - iGS is part of their
  job, not full-time- half are librarians
  (university education), - half library
  assistants (vocational or polytechnics level)-
  USED TO MEET PEOPLE IN NON-LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT

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