A central Texas Library closing the digital divide
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On the edges of a booming metro area, the Martindale Community Library brings mobile hotspots, new technology, and digital skills to an older community.
This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
In Caldwell County, Texas, between Austin and San Antonio, some residents are still struggling to keep up in an increasingly digital world. With broadband access lagging behind neighboring metro counties, older residents in particular are feeling the strain. Now, the Martindale Community Library is stepping in to help close that gap.
Census estimates from 2024 indicated that about 10% of Caldwell County residents did not have broadband access, a drop in connectivity compared to the adjacent metropolitan counties. For older people in Caldwell County, the shift to online platforms has created new and often frustrating challenges.
Recognizing these challenges, organizers at the Martindale Community Library implemented a course aimed at helping older residents adapt.
“I feel illiterate when it comes to [technology] and constantly have to ask friends to help me,” said Cecilia Murphy, a Caldwell County community member and one of the students in the course. “For example, my insurance company only does things online, they don’t provide hard copies anymore and it’s confusing.”
The library now hosts Digital Lift Navigator classes. The six-month free program is designed to help residents build practical technology skills, from using devices like Samsung tablets to navigating the internet safely.
“Everything is reliant on technology now,” said Michael Grubbs, the grants administrator at the Martindale Community Library. “It is all happening quickly and we are just trying to make the changes easier to navigate.”
The class currently has 10 students enrolled, each receiving a Samsung tablet to use throughout the program. At the end of the course, participants will complete a final project, a community cookbook, and will be able to keep their devices.
“We are aiming for senior citizens to improve their digital literacy. We are helping to connect them with medical resources, set up emails, and build familiarity with tools to navigate the internet safely,” said Amanda Traywick, the programs coordinator at the Martindale Community Library.
But reaching those that need help can take some creativity. The library started their outreach effort on social media.
“We've had a struggle to get the word out since many of these people are not on Facebook or Instagram,” Traywick said. “They're just not comfortable with using social media, so we’ve had to use other means.”
The library staff put up flyers and posters around the community.
“One thing we keep running into is figuring out which communication methods work best for everyone as people are differently aligned with technology,” Grubbs said.
For residents without reliable internet access at home, the program also provides mobile hotspots, allowing participants to continue practicing outside of class.
“We encourage everyone to take the [tablets and hotspots] home to continue learning,” Grubbs said.
The students not only lean on the instructors, but also each other.
“Our doctors and medical providers have portals, so they send messages to us that way now,” said Jane Cardiff, another community resident and student. “We just help each other as we have to figure out things like DocuSign.”
The students said that the lessons are helping them understand the online landscape and feel better prepared. At the Martindale Community Library, that digital gap is being closed one class at a time.
“I have learned a lot,” Murphy said. “We needed this class.”
