After a very virtual 2020, we finally got to see the world slowly reopen itself in 2021 as vaccinations started to roll out. As the library started opening back up to the public, we were super excited to resume our monthly tech clinics in person again after a hiatus of 1.5 years. In our first clinic back, we saw familiar faces and exchanged hearty laughs and conversations with one another while we all resolved a technical question together.
We value the importance of conversational exchange and developing relationships with the people who come to our clinics. It is not just about a resolution to a technical problem. It is also the story behind the question. Someone’s story can start with, “I really wanted to listen to the mp3 music files that my pastor sent me”, or “My wife and I just bought this brand new laptop and wanted to install a few things”. Behind every question is a story, and we want to know the story and the people behind them.
Every clinic after our return to the library, we have noticed that there are more new people. It makes us very excited to see that word is spreading about the service we provide and we have to exchange our gratitude to the library for consistently promoting our free technology clinics. Our clinics are growing. Every month we are adding new people to our mailing list. Sometimes even before our clinics begin, before we even set up, the room is already full of curious minds. A curious mind that yearns for knowledge is a mind that remains young.
What’s next for 2022? As word begins to grow and more individuals come into the mix, we want to keep the intimacy of how we began, while accommodating the growth of MY Tech Clinic by recruiting more volunteers who can help bridge the digital divide. We are also looking into ideas for fundraising, uploading more social and website content, being in collaboration with the library in other ways, and continuing to be a part of more stories.
Looking forward to what is in store!