Libraries and Parking Lots Are Hot Spots
Libraries and Parking Lots Are Hot Spots Livability in Action
To address the lack of home-based internet, school districts in Athens, Georgia, and Winterset, Iowa, reached out to local businesses with free Wi-Fi and asked them to display decals that let students know the location is a safe and welcoming place for them to do their homework. In Coachella Valley, California, school buses equipped with internet routers are parked overnight in residential areas that don’t have connectivity. The bus-based routers enable students to complete their assignments. In 2017, Oklahoma State University launched the in the towns of Elgin, Perkins, Seminole and Haskell — the latter of which has a population of 1,900, half of whom had no home access to the internet. During the one-year pilot, the program provided up to seven mobile hot spot devices to each town’s library, to be lent just like a book for one week at a time. The American Library Association has information about setting up hotspot lending programs. (Use the keyword “hotspot” to search .)
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Libraries and Parking Lots Are Hot Spots
In many rural and remote places having a car is key to internet access
This article is adapted from the AARP Rural Livability Workshop Report. Information about downloading or ordering the free publication can be found at the end of this page.Linking Through Libraries
Photo courtesy Brian Stanton The library in Lincoln, Montana, has limited hours, opening for just three to five hours a day and closed on Saturdays.Mobile Modems
photo courtesy brian whitaker Libraries in Oklahoma and elsewhere are lending mobile hotspots (shown above and held by a librarian, below) to patrons who otherwise won't have Wi-Fi access.Beyond Books
Photo by Melissa Stanton Public libraries are customizing their offerings to meet community needs. Skis, snowshoes, mountain bikes, canoes and kayaks are among the holdings of the “Katahdin Gear Library” within the Millinocket Memorial Library in Maine. Most equipment can be checked out by residents for one week. Today’s public libraries are destinations for books, of course, but also for activities, equipment (see the photo of skis below) and — perhaps most importantly in many rural communities — high-speed internet access. But since many rural libraries have limited hours and depend on volunteers as staff, the doors are often locked when people need an internet connection. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see the parking lots of closed libraries filled with cars, inside which are adults who need the internet to search for work or parents with students who need the internet to do homework. (The dining areas and parking lots of fast-food eateries often serve a similar purpose.To address the lack of home-based internet, school districts in Athens, Georgia, and Winterset, Iowa, reached out to local businesses with free Wi-Fi and asked them to display decals that let students know the location is a safe and welcoming place for them to do their homework. In Coachella Valley, California, school buses equipped with internet routers are parked overnight in residential areas that don’t have connectivity. The bus-based routers enable students to complete their assignments. In 2017, Oklahoma State University launched the in the towns of Elgin, Perkins, Seminole and Haskell — the latter of which has a population of 1,900, half of whom had no home access to the internet. During the one-year pilot, the program provided up to seven mobile hot spot devices to each town’s library, to be lent just like a book for one week at a time. The American Library Association has information about setting up hotspot lending programs. (Use the keyword “hotspot” to search .)
Rural Communities and the Internet
Rural Libraries and Parking Lots Are Hot Spots This article is adapted from the . Page published April 2020AARP org Livable
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AARP Members: For questions about your benefits, AARP The Magazine or the AARP Bulletin, visit the page or call 1-888-OUR-AARP (1-888-687-2277). Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures