Connecting (And Reconnecting) With Brighton Park Library

Yesterday, I had to perform an act that, for a variety of reasons, was tinged with nostalgia and regret.

I had to return my hotspot to the Brighton Park branch of the Chicago Public Library.

Now, you may be thinking that I am being overly dramatic, or a bit over-the-top. However, that particular branch of the library has special resonance – it was my first library experience.

My grandparents lived in Brighton Park, just down the street near Archer and California. When I was a child, the library was the one place I had permission to walk to by myself. (At least, when I wasn’t running errands for my grandparents). As a child, it provided great social and educational opportunities. (Not only was I a frequent participant of the Library’s summer reading club, but I eagerly awaited the summer movie series….if only to get a yearly view of George Pal’s War of The Worlds)

It also didn’t hurt that my uncle once worked there.

But as I was prepping to work my latest assignment (as well as take on some other freelance clients), as well as a variety of published writing projects, it became a well-needed lifeline….and is a sorely needed serve to drive digital excellence throughout the Chicago area. Only three libraries – Brighton Park, Greater Grand Crossing, and Douglas – have hotspots as part of the pilot program. But despite a plethora of venues that provide free wi-fi, there is still an economic disincentive. (Fast food venues, laundromats, and other such places provide wi-fi to drive and build traffic; this is a great opportunity to help Chicago residents build their financial capacity and digital expertise).

Hotspots (at least, the one I received) is connected to the Sprint network – patrons check out a box containing the hotspot, cord and adapter, and manual. After reading and signing an agreement outlining my responsibilities (in short, not taking the hotspot apart and bringing everything back into the same container), I was able to check out a hotspot (which is renewable via the library’s web site), and connected.

As far as connection is concerned….it is very fast and extremely workable. Unfortunately, the only complaint is that I had neglected to turn off Windows update on my home computer….and that burned through quite a bit of bandwidth. (Hotspots have 5 GB, and thankfully there’s no penalty for going over the limit – however, service throttles when the level hits 2 GB). Given the smallish screen, finding the password for the hotspot can be a bit tricky. (And in all honesty, I didn’t bother to check to see if it filters for inappropriate content). However, since I happen to live near and regularly work out of the West Lawn branch of the library, I don’t worry too much about bandwidth busters like streaming video and downloads.

But it’s been a thrill to reconnect with one of my childhood institutions – in fact, I was there earlier today, engaged in a Twitter chat for a client. It was an oddly comforting experience without any whiff of nostalgia. Perhaps it’s the fact that libraries are part of my own DNA, and that they have always played a key role in my life, but it felt so much like home that I found myself not wanting to leave…as well as getting up and walking through the stacks. (Note – I did get a new one today, and so I’m eager to continue my exploration of portable broadband)

The Chicago Public Library’s Internet to Go program not only offers the chance for others to connect online, but as a way to drive traffic to various branches….well, it’s a great opportunity for community connection and reconnection.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share below or join our conversation via our Facebook page. You can receive updates via e-mail (instructions below), or contact me personally via the About page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

Advertisement

Great Chicago Events This Coming Week

Summer usually means one thing: a variety of events geared towards getting out and meeting others. Some Chicago events are focused around social good and social change, and this week, we’re going to be highlighting some upcoming events to add to your calendar.

• This Saturday is the kickoff for Learnapalooza, and all-day festival of learning. Held in Lakeview this Saturday, there are a variety of classes and teachings available free of cost….so make a point of checking it out!
• Looking to come down after Learnapalooza? The Simple Good, a local nonprofit focused on positivity through the arts, is holding its second annual City of Big Dreams fundraiser this Saturday night. Local artists, poets, and musicians will be featured – tickets are still available, and can be ordered via Eventbrite.
•  Interested in mentors, startups, and social entrepreneurship? Head to 1871 to attend a conversation with Troy Henikov of TechStars Chicago. It’s free to attend (although brown bagging your lunch is strongly advised) – here’s the link to RSVP. 
• Free Range Office is celebrating its first birthday, and is holding a free expo on August 1st. (We’ve featured them in a previous blog post, and they have been really good towards us). More information via the link.
• Finally, on August 7th there will be a fundraiser for Deborah’s Place, an organization that assists homeless women. More information/RSVP can be found via Facebook.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share below or join our conversation via our Facebook page. You can receive updates via e-mail (instructions below), or contact me personally via the About page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.

I Volunteered for Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon 2015

One of the things I’m always game for is to have new experiences – throwing myself (often on a dare) and seeing what happens during the process.  So when a representative of Chicago Cares e-mailed me asking if I would be willing to participate in this year’s Serve-A-Thon – and cover the event, well….after checking out the website, I simply dove right in.

The Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon is actually a really good idea: encourage volunteers (either through individual efforts, mobilizing a team of coworkers, and/or driving fundraising efforts) to participate in a random project for one day. It’s an effort to mobilize Chicago professionals around “making an impact” – moving them beyond their own experience and provide them an opportunity to improve the greater community. To that end, Chicago Cares assembled a large event, recruiting (and bringing) about 5,000 volunteers to help with projects around the city. In fact, Saturday morning featured free food, people standing around, and  Jim Cornielson – the man who sings the National Anthem for the Chicago Blackhawks – kicking things off in style.

(Unfortunately, learning to use my new smartphone meant that I held the camera in the wrong position…and the video didn’t come out. Yes, ironic for a person who believes in technology and social good. But I did manage to snap a gallery of photos from last week’s Serve-A-Thon, located at the bottom of the page).

Gathering in a series of buses, my colleagues and I soon arrived for our assignment: painting various rooms and line games at McCormick Elementary. We all assembled to volunteer for our various smaller tasks, and I chose to stay outside and paint the pavement.

(Saturday was gorgeous, and quite honestly, I wasn’t going to waste a gorgeous day painting inside when I could paint outside)

After two hours, we were called for lunch, and not only had we received donated sandwiches, but several neighborhood volunteers prepared a very healthy variety of dishes. (I ended up taking the sandwich home for dinner). After another two hours of work & cleanup, it was back to Daley Plaza for hot dogs, live music, beer…and rest.

But in looking back, I admit that I had a great time – after all, I enjoyed a pleasant day doing some work for a worthy school. However, the Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon left me with some great experiences…and some other great thoughts.

Personally, I loved the push towards volunteering – even after the event, I received a great e-mail with further opportunities to get involved. I’m even tempted to consider organizing a team of Chicago Now bloggers for next year. (If you’re interested, drop me a note). As a way of engaging people around a cause, the Serve-A-Thon is a great first step….

…but my qualms are a little more personal in nature. As I write this, funding for Chicago Public Schools has been slashed, and our state legislator and governor are locked in a budget battle with many Illinois residents stuck in the middle. Many of the problems we face cannot be solved merely with teams of corporate volunteers. Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon is a great start that follows through….but hoping many volunteers to think that one project has greater impact than it does may be expecting too much.

But I also wonder how much potential volunteers feel they are making a difference? I’m reminded of Chicago’s abortive bid for the 2016 Olympics – so many people felt motivated to jump in and improve the community for international guests….but those same people seem to have faded from view. (To be fair, I’m also concerned that corporate volunteers may be motivated out of a desire to improve public relations than the greater community). Working towards the social good is a long-term process that looks at deeply entrenched systems and beliefs…and won’t be solved overnight. But perhaps my own familiarity with these issues is clouding my perception…and I have to admit that Chicago Cares Serve-A-Thon was a great, fun experience.

All in all, I commend Chicago Cares for running their 2015 Serve-A-Thon. Perhaps it’s the best first step for Chicago residents, providing an opportunity to jump into deeper work by taking on simpler work first. It’s well worth your time, and I thank Chicago Cares for inviting me to participate.

What are your thoughts? Please feel free to share below or join our conversation via our Facebook page. You can receive updates via e-mail (instructions below), or contact me personally via the About page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Type your email address in the box and click the “create subscription” button. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.