Need wifi? The Eugene Public Library is now offering wifi hotspots for check-out. The program is aimed at bridging the digital divide.
For many low-income people, reliable internet is out of reach. But the library is seeking to solve that by offering greater access to more people. Michael Bradley with the Eugene Public Library said they have 250 wifi hotspots available for check out—for up to 3 weeks. They’re providing another 250 to local nonprofits.
“And this offers a lifeline to folks who are forced between maybe having to pay for internet or pay for food or pay for something else,” Bradley said. “It gives a viable option to be able to access those resources.”
Bradley said the library is trying to better meet the needs of its community in the digital age.
“This initiative helps us move into addressing the more pressing modern needs of 24-hour access,” Bradley said. He noted that spending a couple of hours in the library on a computer doesn’t meet the needs for internet access for health care, job searches, and other essentials that are more and more online.
The initiative started as a pilot project last year. Then the Eugene Library Foundation raised more than $100,000 to launch the program.
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