Case study 1
When Francis’s daughter moved to Berlin she was devastated: she couldn’t shake the feeling of
isolation. To combat her negative emotions, Francis focused on her routines, including her monthly
visit to the public library for the Ruby Tuesday Reading Group. On one such visit, Francis struck up
a conversation with a library assistant, who was very sympathetic to her situation. It turned out that
although Francis had an internet connected computer at home, she didn’t know how to use it. The
library assistant signed her up to a free computer course for the over 50s, where she learnt mouse
and keyboard skills, how to access and evaluate web pages and how to do her shopping online.
More importantly, Francis learnt how to email her daughter in Berlin. The library service had thrown
Francis several lifelines; providing her not just with books, but with information skills that combated
her isolation from her family and community.