If the pandemic has made one thing about modern life clear, it is that Wi-Fi is a necessity.
From online education to Zoom meetings to digital commerce, the internet is now just a part of everyday life. But for some families in some parts of the Centre County, the infrastructure is still not there for reliable internet service.
In an effort to expand internet access, the Centre County Library & Historical Museum is now offering 12 portable Wi-Fi hotspots that may be “checked out” just like a library book.
“It’s not a secret that parts of Centre County struggle with bandwidth connectivity due to both its geographic and rural nature,” CCL&HM Executive Director Denise Sticha said. “With the pandemic, this ‘digital divide’ made even more of an impact as families struggled to connect for remote work and remote learning. Our 12 hotspots won’t begin to make a dent in providing any sense of digital equity, but it’s a small step that we could take to assist library users in being able to connect to the internet from home.”
In the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, CCL&HM and Schlow Centre Region Library, working together as the Centre County Federation of Public Libraries, applied for a grant from the Centre Foundation to pilot the program. The Centre Foundation awarded the library federation a $5,500 grant to purchase 12 hotspots and cover monthly data charges.
The hotspots can be reserved from the online catalog at centrecountylibrary.org, and borrowed for six weeks from the Centre County Library (Bellefonte), Centre Hall Area Branch Library, or Holt Memorial Library (Philipsburg).
There is no charge for the service, and currently there is a waiting list, so the hotspots cannot be renewed. They can be returned to any library in Centre County, including Schlow in downtown State College.
The portable Wi-Fi hotspots provide wireless internet to cell phones, tablets or computers. They can be used to create a Wi-Fi zone for up to 16 devices. The hotspot may also be used as a power bank to charge cell phones and tablets. The hotspots can be used anywhere there is T-Mobile coverage.
So far, the program has been a success, Sticha said.
“Feedback has been positive — both from library customers who either are currently using the hotspots or waiting their turn. Feedback from staff points to a lot of interest, curiosity and appreciation,” Sticha said. “Already, we can see success meeting needs. All 12 hotspots are currently out to library customers and we have a list of people who are on a waiting list. The federation would like to continue the program after the grant funding is spent, but we will need to identify new financial resources to do so and to expand.”
This story appears in the April 8-15, 2021 edition of The Centre County Gazette.
