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PAST NEWS ARCHIVE
June 12, 2001
Contact: Patricia Fraga, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442

Lifeguards come to the rescue at
Austin Public Library Cyber-Centers

No water, no life preservers, and no whistles blowing—not your typical image of a summer lifeguard scene. This summer the Austin Public Library's Wired for Youth Centers will have cyber-lifeguards. "Just like lifeguards at area swimming pools, the cyber-lifeguards are there to ensure that kids use the Wired for Youth Center computers safely and effectively and to increase the hours that the computer centers are available to youth," said Youth Services Manager Jeanette Larson. This program was made possible and funded by a $50,000 grant from the Dell Computer Corporation. Six cyber-lifeguards will work with the Wired for Youth Librarians and are helping youth "surf the Internet" at Carver Branch, Manchaca Road Branch, Oak Springs Branch, Southeast Austin Community Branch, University Hills Branch, and Windsor Park Branch. The cyber-lifeguards are library school graduate students and school librarians who work 30 hours a week to provide one-on-one assistance, summer classes and programs such as learning basic HTML, how to build Web pages, flash animation, and various other software programs. The cyber-lifeguards will provide additional coverage for the busy and active computer centers. They will work through July.

About the Wired for Youth Centers
Through the Austin Public Library Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Wired for Youth Centers were created by a grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and are staffed by professional youth librarians. The librarians have a high level of expertise in technology and teaching various types of computer skills from Web page development to how to use office applications. Wired for Youth (WFY) was designed to help bridge the "digital divide" for youth who are least likely to have access to personal computers and technology. "Children living in the information age will be disadvantaged without easy access to information-age tools for learning. The Internet, like our libraries, opens the door to new worlds and new opportunities for our children," said Susan Dell. The Austin Public Library System currently has 6 fully staffed centers. For additional information about the WFY centers or about the Austin Public Library visit http://www.cityofaustin.org/library/ or call (512) 974-7405.

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