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The Jackson-Madison County Library and the City of Jackson partnered together to apply for a grant from AARP to fund the purchase of the Facebook portals. The intent is for our senior citizens ages 65 and up to be able to stay connected with their families although they may not be able to be together in person as often as they would like.
The Facebook portal is a small tablet with a 10-inch screen. Its camera automatically pans and zooms to follow the action, so connecting with loved ones feels like being in the same room even when you are far apart. It is simple to use. Calls can be made to your Facebook contacts or WhatsApp contacts. When not on a call, the portal can be used to display photos or listen to music.
Library Director Dinah Harris states, “We are very excited to be able to add the Facebook portals to our ‘Library of Things.’ This is such a great way to connect our patrons age 65 and older with their families. The pandemic has definitely made us realize just how important and meaningful it is to stay connected to our loved ones.”
Mayor Scott Conger added, ““Protecting the physical, mental, and social health of our aging committee is one of our most important duties. This innovative project by the Jackson-Madison County Library to partner with our assisted living facilities in providing communications resources greatly aides in this endeavor to protect, while also facilitating crucial human connections.”
Five Facebook portals will be loaned to local assistive living communities. The other five will be available for checkout by library patrons age 65 and older. The portals that circulate among library patrons will be paired with a Wi-Fi device to ensure the ability to use the device which requires an internet connection.