Libraries fight digital divide by loaning internet access via Wi-Fi hotspots
TORONTO — Two years after running a pilot project to assess whether there was a demand for letting library users “borrow” internet access, the Toronto Public Library has decided the answer is a resounding yes.
The library recently expanded the project five-fold from its modest beginnings, with up to 1,000 library users and their families now getting free, unlimited access to the internet at their homes for six months via a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Toronto is one of a number of cities across Canada where library systems have embraced the trend of providing short-term internet access for users, with Wi-Fi hotspot loan periods ranging from a couple of weeks to half a year.
While some libraries lend the devices out to anyone who requests one — some want a hotspot to get online during long drives, trips to the cottage or other areas where a user has limited or no access to an internet connection — others have invested in the devices to help address the digital divide.