Starting this September, patrons at select libraries in Central New York will be able to take home laptop computers and 4g wireless hotspots for a period of three weeks. The program, called CNYFi, is sponsored by the Central New York Library Resources Council (CLRC).
The pilot program will be circulating 30 “internet kits” to library patrons. These kits include a hotspot which may connect up to nine devices to the internet, along with a Chromebook computer. In Syracuse, Onondaga County Public Library will be offering ten kits to patrons at White Branch on Butternut Street, and ten to patrons visiting the Satellite Library at the Southwest Community Center on South Ave. MidYork Library System will be offering ten kits to patrons at the Jordanville Public Library in Jordanville, NY. If all goes well, the program will expand across the region in 2016.
According to Matthew Kopel, Library Services Manager at CLRC and coordinator of the initiative, the goals of the program are simple. “We want to help bridge the growing digital divide in every way we can. Going to school, getting a job, communicating with family, these are all things that require internet access and digital literacy. People take that for granted.”
The libraries involved are excited to be a part of a national movement towards providing more access. “The Hotspot Lending Program is not only an excellent step forward to technical growth in libraries, but is also an invaluable way of bringing society closer together from all over the world,” said Jaclyn Matthews, the Hotspot Coordinator at White Branch.
MidYork Library System’s Technology Support Specialist Fritz Meeusen added, “The cost of owning and using technology is prohibitive to many, and the typical lack of this technology in rural areas makes this plan vital to the growth and enrichment our communities. Being able to offer to our patrons the technology tools they need to stay informed and educated fits exactly into our charter.”
The program is doings its best to add this service without burdening library staff with extra work. “A key part of CLRC’s mission is to act as a laboratory and support experiments for our member libraries,” Kopel said. “Everyone deserves access to information and the tools to better themselves. The library is the place where this has to happen.”
The sponsoring organization, CLRC, is seeking donations to help support this pilot and expand it as much as possible. New computers, service for the devices and material support are all expenditures covered by CLRC at no cost to the libraries. Donations may be made at clrc.org/donate
For additional information, please contact:
Matthew Kopel, Library Services Manager
Central New York Library Resources Council – clrc.org
mkopel@clrc.org – 315.446.5446