A mouse isn't working. Somebody's trying to open a PC disk in the Macintosh. Somebody needs to know how to start up the Lotus 123 tutorial. A volunteer is kneeling beside a new user, reaching across to point at someone else's screen, getting paper for the pinter. Things get quiet for a moment and the two young tech volunteers are designing a cheap way to network the lab for Internet access.
Somebody wants to know what kind of computer to buy.
The last public access participant has left and the volunteers are doing the final shutdown. Chairs pushed in, machines off, lights off, alarm set, door locked. It's time to give these machines a rest. Less than 12 hours later, they'll be on the job again. Of course, the Somerville Community Computing Center doesn't ever have a single typical day.