Because many Americans find themselves unable to afford quality Internet at home, they are caught on the wrong side of a growing digital divide. This chasm presents an obstacle to the acquisition of crucial job skills and participation in America’s $8 trillion dollar digital economy. In New York, 27 percent of residents lack home internet, and fully half of the New Yorkers who use computer and internet services in the library lack internet access at home. Patrons’ access at libraries is restricted by the facilities’ hours and the high demand for computer sessions. Bringing internet access home will allow patrons to learn, work, explore, connect and create online even after library doors have closed.

Starting in December 2014, The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library, began lending WiFi HotSpots to 10,000 families across New York City who do not currently have home Internet access. NYPL is partnering with Kansas and Maine to run similar programs in rural areas. These hotspots pull a cellular phone signal and distribute a local WiFi broadcast that can allow computers and smartphones to connect to the Internet. By lending these devices, the libraries seek to both raise digital exposure and confidence among participants, and increase their engagement with the world online.

The goals of the program are both targeted and broad, ranging from encouraging patrons to get online and take advantage of the opportunities available once connected, to creating a scalable model for low-cost home access to the Internet for low-income families. Toward this end, the library has partnered with the New York City Mayor’s office and engaged with the FCC, the White House and digital inclusion advocates and libraries nationwide to push forward the discussion of how to address this digital divide. This program has already shown that low-income families value and use the internet, but cost is a barrier to accessing it. By negotiating on behalf of our patrons, NYPL was able to secure more affordable service than patrons could have purchased independently.