February 2020

TIME TO GO DIGITAL
If the computing world has left you offline, make time for some
digital discovery at Wanstead Library this month, says Rose Meredith,
Development Librarian at Vision RCL
66 Wanstead Village Directory
“I
just can’t do that!” “That
digital stuff isn’t for me, I can’t
understand it.” “I’m a total failure at
downloading.” “I can’t change!”
Do you sometimes feel the digital world has
gone on without you and that you will never
have a chance to get on board the digital
highway? Ever found yourself declaring a story
of your fate that cannot alter? Do you feel sure
the digital world is really not a place for you?
Libraries have altered people’s perceptions
throughout time, enabling people to access
all kinds of information and participate in
new worlds of knowledge. Public libraries
have been in the forefront, more recently,
in enabling anyone in the community
to walk down the information superhighway,
accessing books and knowledge,
ideas and learning – for all age groups, no
matter background or circumstances.
Stories are part of the human experience –
shared in all kinds of ways amongst friends
and families. At every point in the history of
humanity, we have wanted to create new
stories, travelling into a brave new world of
knowledge. Today, the stories are changing.
Knowledge can extend into an untouchable
digital world with a stroke on a computer –
bringing to life books, images, maps, learning,
movies, TV, radio, cartoons, drawing and
art as well as bringing to our homes travel
around the globe and indeed the universe,
and allowing us to see the combined worlds
of great libraries and famous museum
collections (oh – and the very smallest local
collections too!).
We can access a world of TV, music and
entertainment from every part of the globe.
The digital world introduces new ways of
learning and discovering and using resources
like online catalogues, biographies, art
and dictionaries, as well as allowing us to
socialise and meet new people, join groups
and participate in our local communities. The
internet enables us to reach out, have fun
and build our knowledge in every aspect of
human endeavour, culture and history.
Redbridge Libraries wants you to be part of
this new digital world! To help you, we will
be delivering sessions throughout February
during Digital Discovery Time.
Having problems with accessing our online
resources? Not quite sure where to start? We
invite you to drop into one of our sessions
and ask our friendly staff. They can show you
our exciting and amazing range of digital
resources. Let’s get digital!
Digital Discovery Time sessions will
take place at Wanstead Library on 6 and
13 February from 11am to 12 noon (free;
booking required; bring your own digital
devices). For more information, call
020 8708 7400. To find out more about
the digital services available at Redbridge
Libraries, visit visionrcl.org.uk/digital
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com