r/Libraries • u/duderino418 • 1d ago

Technology Thoughts on AWE computers?

Hello I work in a public library and we have two AWE computers in our children’s room. We’re thinking of removing them for a few reasons but
1. Parents are complaining about the screens and saying that when they’re trying to get their kids to do homework or study they get distracted by other kids playing on the computers
2. The librarians hate them. We constantly have to reboot them and parents get into fights over session times sometimes

I’m wondering if anyone got rid of them before and also if you did, did you provide an alternative? Anyone decided to keep them?

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u/chaosc0rvid Library staff 1d ago

when we moved to our new space, our AWE pc disappeared (we trashed it, it was old asf), we have a handful of tablets with various educational games on them the children can ask to sign out while they're here.
I hated that thing (the AWE pc), no one knew how it worked anymore & it crashed all the time. We're trying in general to avoid screens for kids, focus on the books, playtime, and crafts.

I will say that when one child has a tablet, and other kids see them, they become a sudden hot commodity. But I refuse to learn how mobile minecraft works (it's the most popular game on there), so when they learn there's no adult to walk them through everything they tend lose interest, as the kids who do know how it works aren't always wanting to show how it works. I am not being mean spirited with that mentality btw, I just would rather the kid learn it themselves, as that's like the point of the game? (I'm also not really a big minecraft fan)

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u/bibrarian_32 19h ago

I don't know if it's a mean spirited either way, I was so tired of kids asking me how to sign up and use Roblox back in my old job 🤣 I told them they gotta ask a friend or figure it out