In Cincinnati, 15% of homes have no internet, not even a smartphone. Thousands depend on the library for Internet access. In spring/summer 2020, with social service agencies closed or on limited hours and social services workers unavailable to meet in person, CHPL was one of the few places open for in-person service and providing tech access & support. The challenge was how to do this safely when so much was still unknown, so CHPL Main Library’s TechCenter staff piloted a new software and rapidly deployed it across 41 locations.

Zoho was crucial for CHPL staff to help people file for unemployment in the pandemic’s bleakest months. Staff created best practices and a cheat sheet for other staff to quickly learn about Zoho. CHPL staff helped hundreds of customers connect with Ohio Job & Family Services & keep them financially stable in a very trying time. Staff can remotely access a PC & safely assist a customer with navigating to the right web page, attaching a file, educating customers through chat, using on-screen prompts and real-time annotations.

We used tools like Zoho to offer safe, in-person service during a global pandemic when many crucial social services organizations were closed and curbside service alone didn’t meet our community’s needs. We also used laser pointers & plastic bags to slip devices into for troubleshooting. We still use Zoho, especially for customers’ in-depth or time-consuming tech challenges and plan to integrate Zoho into in-person digital literacy classes, to make learning everything from computer basics to Photoshop more accessible to all.