a tale of two cities: nypl and cpl wi-fi lending projects
TRANSCRIPT
Luke Swarthout [email protected] Michelle Frisque [email protected]
A Tale of Two Cities: WiFi Lending in
Chicago and New York City
Luke Swarthout [email protected]
Michelle Frisque
THE BROADBAND INTERNET GAP
• Across New York City, 27% of households lack home internet access. • 63% of New Yorkers with family income less than $20,000 a year
lack home internet access.
• In the U.S. 30% of homes lack broadband internet. • The number rises to 48% for families earning less than $30,000 a
year.
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DIGITAL SKILLS GAP
• 15% of American adults do not use the internet at all, and another 9% of adults use the internet but not at home.
Source: Who’s Not Online and Why, Pew Internet Project http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/09/25/whos-not-online-and-why/
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WHY DOES HOME BROADBAND ADOPTION MATTER?
1. Homework gap
2. Employment opportunities
3. Libraries and schools are often closed when Internet access is most crucial
4. Increase civic engagement
5. Access social services
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BARRIERS TO HOME BROADBAND ADOPTION
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Source: Horrigan, John. [2010]. Broadband Adoption and Use in America. https://transition.fcc.gov/DiversityFAC/032410/consumer-survey-horrigan.pdfImage Source: http://www.webjunction.org/news/webjunction/the-internet-is-important-to-everyone.html
• Libraries expose patrons to online resources that show the value of internet access.
LIBRARIES ARE ALREADY CRUCIAL PLAYERS IN BROADBAND ADOPTION
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• Libraries provide training and support so that patrons can access and utilize internet resources.
A NEW AREA/OPPORTUNITY FOR LIBRARIES TO IMPACT HOME BROADBAND ADOPTION
New York City
OPTIONS FOR LIBRARIES TRYING TO IMPACT HOME INTERNET COST
• Amplify wifi signal inside library to bleed into surrounding public space.
• Rebroadcast library internet using whitespace in surrounding community
• Purchase and lend wifi hotspots to patrons.
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WHY NYPL CHOSE TO LEND WIFI HOTSPOTS
• Low capital costs
• Easy to lend
• Works inside a patron’s home
• Can target to priority families
• Scalable (to a point)
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SPRING 2014 PRE-PILOT
• Last spring, NYPL lent 100 hotspots to students through 4 branch libraries. These devices pull a cellular phone signal and distribute a local WiFi broadcast that can allow internet-enabled devices like computers and smartphones to connect to the Internet.• Devices: Clear HUB Express 3G hotspots
• Service: Mobile Beacon
• Lending period: 2 months, renewable for additional 2 months
• Eligibility: families with students in Out of School Time or ESOL programs in four branches
• The successful pilot led to:
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LIBRARY HOTSPOT PILOT SERVICE DETAILS
• Device:• Netgear Zing Hotspots
• Can connect up to 9 devices to the internet
• Service:• Sprint is the service provider in partnership
with Mobile Beacon
• 1 year service contracts with unlimited service
• Cost to libary is approximately $30/device and $13/month for service on Sprint network.
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LIBRARY HOTSPOT PILOT A partnership between the 3 New York Public Library Systems. Each employed different distribution methods:
• New York Public Library (NYPL)• Lending period of 6 months, one renewal allowed up to a year
• Targeted 4000 students in NYPL’s adult literacy and out of school time programs.
• Later began registration-required Lending Events at branches in high need neighborhoods
• Queens Public Library (QPL)• Lending period of 1 month, three renewals allowed
• Targeted high need branches, devices lent on a first-come, first-served basis
• Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)• Lending period of 1 year
• Targeted high need branches, devices lent on a first-come first served basis to those who attend an orientation session
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PROGRAM COSTS AND FUNDING
• New York City Libraries received $2 million in funding from:• Google
• The Knight Foundation
• The Robin Hood Foundation
• The Open Society Foundation
• Potential sources of funding for library broadband efforts:• Foundations
• Elected officials
• Corporate Partners
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KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN LENDING HOTSPOTS
• Length of device loan
• Number of devices to loan
• Speed/data plan on devices
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Chicago Chicago
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Sho
rt Te
rm G
oals
• Increased comfort with digital technology
• Increase in user perception that the Internet is relevant to them
Med
ium
Ter
m G
oals
• Increased ability to use the Internet across a broad range of goals
• Participants taking steps to acquire Internet access for him/herself via one of several low-cost options
• Reported improvement in ability to navigate education, career and other critical activities online in order to achieve personal goals
Long
Ter
m G
oals
• Increased Internet participation in the community areas where this service is available
THE PILOT
• Funded by Knight Foundation and Google
• Launched in 3 branches: Greater Grand Crossing, Douglass, and Brighton Park
• 100 hotspots at each location; 10 will be kits that include a hotspot and a Chromebook or Surface tablet (July)
• CyberNavigators available for one-on-one coaching
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THE PILOT
• Hotspots can be checked out for 3 weeks and may be renewed up to 15 times (if no holds)
• Items must be returned to the lending branch
• Items are holdable but must be picked up and returned to the lending branch
• CPL reserves the right to turn off hotspot 3 days after it overdue
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MANAGE MOBILITY
• Staged all mobile devices (including: restricting access to administrative password, disabling roaming, customized some selections, etc.)
• Asset tagging and management of all items
• Reporting (both real-time and long term)
• Can turn off hotspot connectivity (and turn back on when it is returned)
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NEXT STEPS
• Launch at 3 more locations before the end of summer
• Fall: explore how we want to expand the program
• Revise program based on patron and staff feedback
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Luke Swarthout [email protected] Michelle Frisque [email protected]
Michelle Frisque [email protected]
Luke Swarthout [email protected]
Thanks!
Program Evaluation http://bit.ly/litaevals