Category: Libraries

Libraries ‘to help or not to help’ with My Vaccine Passes

When the My Vaccine Pass was released a few weeks ago it was inspiring to hear how libraries had responded so quickly to help their communities get access to their passes – after all, how many people have the digital confidence to:

(1) Have a unique email address (not one shared with a partner);

(2) Set up a My Health account;

(3) Access emails on their smartphones;

(4) Add their Vaccine Pass to Apple Wallet or Google Pay;

(5) Own a printer and laminator to print a copy.

For our part, Sue Kini pulled out the stops and produced a new Stepping UP module for My Health & My Vaccine Pass.

It was quickly evident that the Government’s backup plan to use the special 0800 number for people without digital access to request a Vaccine Pass was not going to work, with 70,000 requests backlogged. I was so disappointed with the negative stories emerging that I sent a letter to the editor of the Dominion Post on 26 November pointing out how public libraries (as the biggest ‘helpdesk’ in the country) could help.

And then the bombshell on 2 December to learn that some Councils had ruled that only people who could show their Vaccine Passes were permitted access to their libraries and other public facilities. A sort of catch-22; how could libraries help people get their passes if they had to have one to enter? Well done Clutha District Council, Waitaki District Council, Timaru District Council, Waimate District Council, Marlborough District Council, Upper Hutt City Council, South Taranaki District Council and Whanganui District Council, to name just a few who ruled in favour of remaining open to everyone, so that people could get the help they needed to get their passes.

But we still have a lot of work to do; at the time the new traffic light system came into effect on 3 December over 800,000 people who were fully vaccinated had not downloaded their Vaccine Passes.

We strongly encourage all our Stepping UP partners to provide ongoing support to help everyone in their communities get access to their Vaccine Pass and be able to enjoy the new freedoms that come with the Covid traffic light system.

1 metre social distancing – what it really means for orange regions

Image Source: South Taranaki District Council

Many of us (including me) have been under the misapprehension that the 1m social distancing rule for Covid-19 means that we need to maintain at least 1 metre distancing between participants in small group sessions, and this has prevented many partners from resuming their Stepping UP classes. It certainly contributed to our decision to put DORA out to pasture for 3 months. However, our good friend, Pete Gray, Manager – Libraries & Community at Whanganui District Council, pointed out the error of our thinking today to Alistair Fraser on our DIAA team by directing us to the official Government Covid-19 Protection Framework (traffic lights) on what an orange traffic light means for public facilities such as libraries.

To quote from the official word: “some capacity limits are based on 1 metre distancing. This means the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was 1 metre apart. People do not need to stand 1 metre apart.” In other words, the 1 metre rule is about capacity limits in defined spaces, not actual social distancing.

DORA is a 7 metre bus; we assess the social distancing capacity would be 7 people (based on above rule), and this excludes ‘workers’, who in our case would be the tutors. So this means it would be pretty much ‘business as usual’ for attendees with Vaccine Passes. We can only assume the same would be true for library partners.

But what about masks? The Government accepts that there are situations when face coverings can temporarily be removed, and in particular “to eat or drink” or “to talk with someone who needs to see others’ mouths to communicate, due to being deaf or hard of hearing”.

So with nearly all regions moving to Orange on 31 December 2021, now is the time to plan your 2022 Stepping UP classes. Thanks Pete and Alistair for helping us to get this clear.

My Vaccine Pass – Libraries and other community organisations to the rescue!

We have had numerous reports this week from our Stepping UP partners about how they have sprung into action to help their communities download their vaccine passes. Some are providing a printing service, creating a laminated copy of the Pass. Others are helping customers with smartphones navigate the maze of apps to ensure the Pass can be swiftly recovered when it is needed to verify their vaccination status to gain access to a hairdresser or restaurant.

We (mainly Sue Kini) have also swung into action and produced a new Stepping UP Digital Step – DS41: My Health & My Vaccine Pass. This provides a step by step guide for partners to guide your customers in creating a My Health account and downloading their Vaccine Passes.

As shout out to Irene Wilson at Dunedin Public Library, who has produced an amazing set of video tutorials for getting a Vaccine Pass. Irene has created six videos in total and is happy for this resource to be shared with anyone who needs it.

  • How to create your My Health Account
    • With an email address
    • With a RealMe login
  • How to request your vaccine certificate
  • How to access the certificate with an android device
  • How to access the certificate with an Apple device
  • How to zoom in on the QR code

Jump Modems – Delivery Options

I am getting frequent questions about whether the home delivery self-service option is still available for Skinny Jump.  The short answer is “yes”, but please read on so that I can explain the ‘but‘.

All Jump inquiries are directed to a delivery partner organisation and our preference (from both a support and financial perspective) is for people to front up to a local partner.  There are now 196 publicly listed locations where people can go to get a Skinny Jump modem and new locations are being added every week.

The advantages are manifold:

(1) Partners are able more easily to assess the eligibility of the applicants;

(2) Partners are able to assist applicants set up their Skinny accounts, making sure they have a working email (and one they can remember the password for!);

(3) Partners are able to explain what customers can do with 30GB data and how they are limited to five plan renewals (total of 150GB) a month;

(4) Partners are able to explain the top up/ plan renewal process, so that customers feel confident about doing this when their first month’s internet expires;

(5) Partners are welcome to engage interpreters for customers who have English as a second language, and claim back costs from DIAA;

(6) Partners are able to offer opportunities for new internet users to participate in scheduled Stepping UP or Better Digital Futures digital literacy classes;

(7) Partners are able to develop a relationship with the customer, so that they are encouraged to return for other library services.

BUT, if for any reason the customer finds it difficult to get to a Jump partner, e.g. they could live a long way away or may have physical disabilities that prevent them from travelling, partners are welcome to use the online application form.  Note that the Application Form has been amended to require the name of the person making the referral and their organisation.  Applicants must also give a reason why they can’t visit a Jump partner.

Too early for libraries to start providing Jump modems

I think this is a pretty universal position that it is too early for libraries and other public facilities to start issuing Jump modems.  Since my last post on the Level 2 restrictions for Jump, our library partners seem to agree that while their facilities are officially open,  social distancing, cleaning requirements and in some cases, limitations on the length of time people can stay in the facility, make it simply too difficult for group activities.  However, the good news is that everyone seems very happy to keep operating in the same way as the have been for the last 8 weeks, i.e. accepting Jump inquiries from their community and where necessary, assisting with the completion of the online application form.  Modems are then couriered directly to applicants’ homes, with a user guide explaining how to set up the Jump modem and open a Skinny account.

So our proposal is that from next week most Jump partner sites listed on the Skinny Jump map will be updated to read:

Contact us during normal business hours to sign up for Jump.

A contact name and normal business telephone number will then replace the personal mobile number of the staff member working from home.

Our proposal is that this will become the default information, but individual partners may choose slight variations to this wording if required.  For example, some library staff have approval to continue working from home and managing Jump inquiries by phone.  The Partner map information will then read:

Jump classes suspended until further notice. Phone us to sign up for Jump. 

We ask all public Jump delivery partners to review the information on the Skinny map and advise us of any changes required (jump@diaa.nz).

In Auckland, 31 libraries are opening on 20 May and the other 24 immediately after Queen’s Birthday weekend (2 June).

We expect these updates to be made by Wednesday 20 May.

 

Now we are at Level 2, what’s the story with Jump delivery?

A few weeks ago I posted about what might happen to the home-delivery Jump service once we moved to Level 2.  I suggested that this really is in your hands as our delivery partners; we hope that you can continue offering assistance with Jump signups and progressively move back to delivering the modems as well.   But there is no panic.  We realise tomorrow is a new day and for many of you, your first day back in your premises after nearly two months.  While I would like to think that Jump signups are on your priority list, I suspect your managers (and their managers) might have other priorities, like managing social distancing and keeping all your surfaces clean.  So, as I mentioned in my previous post, we will continue to provide the home delivery option.  This means you can continue to help sign people up in your communities and we will courier the modem to them.  However, if you are willing to recommence with local modem deliveries, do let us know at jump@diaa.nz and we will turn on your auto-restocking trigger.

Just one important thing to remember, if you are issuing the modem, please complete the Stepping UP Profile Form.  If you want us to send the modem please complete the Jump Application Form.

Will we be continuing a national home-delivery service for Jump when we move to Level 2?

We recognise that with the move to Covid-19 level 3 today many Jump partners are starting to think about the impact of moving to level 2.  While it is expected that public venues, such as libraries, will be permitted to open under level 2, the one metre distancing rule will make it difficult to offer a full range of services.

Whether or not Jump partners wish to resume offering Jump to their communities under level 2 will be a decision for them to make.  We are able to continue to offer the national self-service Jump option as long as it is required, but we also look forward to the day when all partners are able to resume providing the additional face-to-face support that so many people still require.

I had a message from one of our self-service recipients the other day.  He said in a brief email “OK, I’ve got the modem.  What now?”.  While the Skinny Helpdesk is providing this follow up support, we know many people would much prefer to talk with someone they know in their local communities.

Libraries invited to participate in digital inclusion survey

A new library research initiative by the Equity Through Education Research Centre at Massey University is underway and library managers and staff throughout New Zealand are invited to participate.  The research seeks to investigate the role of public libraries in promoting digital inclusion and overcoming the digital divide.

We encourage all DIAA library partners delivering Stepping UP or JUMP programmes to participate in these surveys:

Library staff survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LXJGTY7

Library Managers’ Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HRKDVMK

The research is being conducted by Dr Maggie Hartnett, Associate Professor Mandia Mentis, Associate Professor Alison Kearney, Dr Lucila Carvalho, and Dr Philippa Butler. Any questions about the research or about this survey should be referred to Maggie Hartnett, at m.hartnett@massey.ac.nz.