Hartford Public Library is taking its efforts at connectivity on the road with initiatives designed to increase Wi-Fi connectivity throughout Hartford.
“Our Library on Wheels is one of the resources that allows us the opportunity to creatively deliver service during crucial times like these,” said Leticia Cotto, HPL’s Customer Experience Officer.
The library has prioritized delivering Wi-FI hotspots to spaces where people are homebound and transitional living spaces without Wi-Fi access to provide connectivity for entertainment, to stay informed, and support distance learning.
HPL Wi-Fi spots have been delivered to
- Immanuel House (15 Woodlawn Street), an assisted living space for people 62 years old and older.
- Warming Center at Milner School (104 Vine Street). A City of Hartford-run refuge for people experiencing homelessness.
Other locations are being identified.
HPL’s Library on Wheels also functions as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Plans to use it as a Mobile Wi-Fi Hub strategically throughout the city are underway.
The deployment of the Library on Wheels to spread Wi-Fi access is just one of the innovative methods HPL is using to expand its outreach during the Covid-19 quarantine.
“If people can’t come to us, how do we go to them in a safe way and still meet needs?’ We see the importance of doing this kind of outreach because we recognize the need for Wi-Fi city wide and when we were open to the public, experienced a continued increase in our Wi-Fi usage systemwide,” Cotto said.
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