The computing facilities at Haddenham Community Library will soon be undergoing an upgrade, with the installation of a Wi-Fi system due before the end of July.
For those slightly less versed in such technological delights, this will mean that visitors to the Library will be able to access the internet free of wires and physical connections of any kind – and all free-of-charge!
So users of tablets and mobile devices please note – the Library will be yet another location to catch up with your emails, research your lastminute.com breaks, order your groceries or even skype your friends and relatives in far flung corners of the globe. And did we mention it's free? The only charge will be that required of your mobile device battery!
If all this leaves you feeling bemused and slightly out-of-touch with missed opportunities on the internet and you would like to know more, then please keep an eye on this website or the Library noticeboard. Taster sessions are being organised that are especially geared to older members of the community, for whom computers and the internet mean little or nothing. Many such folk imagine there's nothing to interest or benefit them from using computers or the internet – but this couldn't be further from the truth. Online shopping and banking, maintaining frequent contact with friends and relatives, gaining access to cheaper prices for goods, having groceries delivered rather than having to carry them home, having instant access to information about social support services and help for retired folk, applying for benefits ... the list goes on and on. The way the world operates has shifted hugely over the last 20 years, and there's no reason why elderly residents should miss out.
So, if you have mature friends or relatives living in Haddenham who might gain from "an introduction to the internet" – please keep an eye out for further information coming soon.
And while on the subject of Haddenham Community Library, the trustees would like to point out that it still has lots of opportunities for volunteers. Can you help by giving a few hours a week? If so, please visit the library to talk to the manager, Emma Barrett, about how you might contribute.
You will be helping to keep the library open for the benefit of the local community – and it's a wonderful resource for all age groups. If you've not visited for a long time, pop in and take a look – you'll be very pleasantly surprised at what's on offer.
