Digital skills and learning

Our digital champions run sessions for anyone who needs more confidence using their device or accessing our services on the web.

One-to-one support

Our free one-to-one support sessions can help you feel more confident using the internet and online services. You can book a session and bring your own device along (such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone). Or you can borrow one of ours on the day - just let us know when you request to book.

Our digital champions can help you with things such as:

  • emailing
  • browsing the web and staying safe online
  • video calling
  • online shopping and banking
  • social media
  • using online council services, such as:
  • using online library services, including eBooks and eAudio and your online library account

Session dates and times

Location  Date Time
Mapplewell and Staincross Library Wednesday 7 June 10am to 1pm
Cudworth Library Monday 12 June 10am to 1pm
Hoyland Library  Tuesday 13 June 10am to 1pm
Worsbrough Library Monday 19 June 10am to 1pm
Library @ the Lightbox Monday 19 June 1pm to 5pm
Roundhouse Library Tuesday 20 June 10am to 1pm
Goldthorpe Library Thursday 22 June 1pm to 4pm
Thurnscoe Library Friday 23 June 10am to 1pm
Penistone Library Friday 23 June 10am to 1pm
Royston Library Tuesday 27 June 10am to 1pm
Wombwell Library Tuesday 27 June 1pm to 4pm
Dodworth Library Friday 30 June 2pm to 4pm

You can request to book a 45 minute slot at any of the sessions by filling in our online form or calling (01226) 773555. If you'd like to attend at a library not listed, just let us know your preferred location when you contact us.

Request to attend a digital session

Online basics course 

If you'd like to learn more about getting online, you can join us for a free course. There's a choice of dates and venues, and each course runs one day a week for six weeks.

Sessions cover:

  • Week 1 – using the internet and searching the internet
  • Week 2 – online forms and keeping your personal details secure
  • Week 3 – using email
  • Week 4 – accessing public services and health services online
  • Week 5 – online shopping
  • Week 6 – learning to video call and watching/listening online

You can bring your own laptop or tablet if you have one, or borrow one of ours on the day.

Course dates and times

Location Day Dates Time
Library @ Roundhouse Thursday  15 June to 20 July  2pm to 4pm 
Library @ Goldthorpe Thursday  1 June to 6 July 10am to 12pm
Library @ the Lightbox Monday 5 June to 10 July 10am to 12pm
Library @ Hoyland Tuesday 18 July to 29 August 10am to 12pm

You can request to book a place at any of the courses by filling in our online form, calling (01226) 773555, or asking in the library.

Request to attend a digital session

More support

Community digital champion training

Would you like to help people in your area improve their digital skills? If so, why not become one of our community digital champions. 

This session covers:

  • How to find out the reasons why people don't use digital solutions.
  • Ideas to overcome any barriers.
  • Where to start with supporting someone's digital journey.
  • What resources are available.

Book your place online using our digital session request form.

Request to attend a digital session

Support for local community groups

We also work with local community groups to support people to get online. You can read a case study about some of our work below. If you run a group and would like our digital champions to visit you, please get in touch using our online form. 

Case study: Athersley Cares

Here's what Lorraine, project manager at Athersley Cares, said about working with our digital champions:

"Athersley Cares works on various initiatives and activities for children, families and the elderly residents of Athersley, New Lodge and Smithies area of Barnsley.

As part of our work we support a regular meeting of elderly members from the community. Through discussions it became clear to us that they had little or no experience of using the internet or social media. They did tell us they'd like to learn about it though.

I contacted the digital champions who were more than happy to attend one of the meetings to introduce themselves and their service.

A four week programme was developed which included:

  • emailing
  • shopping on line
  • social media
  • online security
  • online Barnsley Council services, which included library services

Feedback after each session was extremely positive with everyone saying they had learned something and confidence had grown when using the internet. Numbers attending each session were maintained, and new people joined throughout the programme.

I feel that the group will access Barnsley Council online services. I will have a laptop available at their meetings from now on to make sure they can do this. The group have also said that they would like the digital champions to return in the future. 

I would like  to thank the digital champions for a really interesting course. Already, myself and the group have told other groups about this service. I look forward to working with them again in the future."

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