What to know about McArthur Library’s new internet education program
McArthur Library launches countywide digital literacy push with $50,000 state grant
BIDDEFORD — On a recent Tuesday morning, Corie LeClair watched a patron at McArthur Library stare at a phishing email, unsure whether the urgent request for banking credentials was legitimate. It’s a scene the library’s technical coordinator sees play out weekly across the circulation desk.
“People come in having lost thousands,” LeClair said. “They’re embarrassed, scared, and they don’t know where to turn.”
That vulnerability — shared by teenagers navigating cyberbullying and seniors targeted by sophisticated cryptocurrency schemes — is what a new $50,000 grant from the Maine Connectivity Authority aims to address. The Digital Resilience Grant, awarded to McArthur Library this fall, will fund a traveling series of hands-on workshops across all 29 towns in York County, bringing internet safety training directly into the communities that need it most.
The program marks an expansion of the library’s mission beyond its Biddeford building. “So much of the world has gone digital,” said Library Director Nicole Clark. “If we’re serious about access, we have to meet people where they are.”
Starting November 17, LeClair and Teen Services Librarian Claudia Spelman will rotate through five host libraries — York, Biddeford, Sanford, Kennebunk, and Limerick — each serving as a hub for surrounding towns. Sessions run at noon on set dates through mid-January, with registration open now by phone or email. Transportation assistance is available for those who need it.
The curriculum splits along two tracks. For students, workshops cover cyberbullying response, evaluating online sources, and the basics of artificial intelligence tools now embedded in search engines and social platforms. For older adults — a demographic that comprises 23% of Maine’s population, the highest median age in the nation — the focus shifts to practical device management, video calling with family, and, critically, scam recognition.
The threat landscape has shifted rapidly. Between 2022 and 2024, cryptocurrency scams targeting Americans over 60 more than tripled, rising from roughly 10,000 incidents totalling $1 billion to over 33,000 cases exceeding $2.8 billion, according to federal data cited by state officials. Maine has not been spared. A Falmouth couple lost $1.3 million in 2022; a China, Maine couple in their 80s suffered an identical loss last year. Both cases involved fraudulent crypto investment platforms.
“These aren’t abstract statistics,” LeClair said. “They’re our neighbors.”
To lower barriers, the grant also covers equipment. Participants in the initial sessions receive a free Amazon Echo Dot — a voice-activated device Clark describes as a “gateway tool” for digital confidence. It can read news aloud, set medication reminders, control smart lights, place emergency calls, and connect users to family without requiring a touchscreen or keyboard mastery.
“For someone with arthritis or vision loss, voice control changes everything,” Clark said. “It’s not a gadget. It’s independence.”
Additional funding purchases laptops and mobile hotspots for use during workshops and short-term lending, ensuring connectivity isn’t a prerequisite for participation.
The Maine Connectivity Authority, established in 2021 to administer federal broadband infrastructure funds, views digital literacy as inseparable from physical access. “You can run fiber to every driveway,” said one authority staffer familiar with the grant program, “but if people don’t feel safe using it, the divide persists.”
McArthur’s model — librarians as digital navigators — leverages existing trust. Patrons already approach staff with tax forms, job applications, and benefits portals. Formalizing that role with dedicated training and take-home tools represents a shift from reactive help to proactive resilience.
Sessions begin November 17 at York Public Library, followed by McArthur Library on November 20, Goodall Library in Sanford on December 8, Kennebunk Free Library on December 11, and Limerick Library on January 13. All start at 12 p.m.
To register, email techhelp@mcarthurlibrary.org or call 207-286-9326.
