The Wellington County Library’s Rural Internet Hotspot Lending Program has been a major success, library officials report.
Councillor Rob Black, information heritage and seniors committee chair, reported at the May 26 county council meeting that patrons are lining up to check out the devices, which provide a mobile high speed internet connection when plugged into the user’s computer.
“We’ve had a total of 275 circulations in the first six weeks alone,” said Black.
The new service is the result of an Ontario Libraries Capacity Fund Research and Innovation Grant in the amount of $157,000, awarded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The library now has a compliment of 70 hotspots, which patrons can borrow for up to a week at a time.
The project is expected to last for two years, ending in March 2018. Wellington County is one of the first libraries in North America to offer the service, and is the first in Canada to target rural populations, explained Information Services Librarian Jessica Veldman in a staff report.
The hotspots were purchased using the county’s existing corporate plan, which provided discounted rates. Each device costs $99.99, and has an associated flex-rate data plan that allows unlimited usage for $50 per month.
“If a device is not returned on time, we can suspend the usage, effectively cutting off internet access until the device is returned. So far, we’ve had one device damaged, and one lost. We anticipated some loss, and have budgeted replacement costs for these devices,” the report states.
Immediate response to the program has been “overwhelmingly positive,” said Veldman.
“The program targets rural populations, and usage in our northern branches has been good. Mount Forest and Harriston have seen particularly high use so far.”
A survey of patrons utilizing the devices indicates:
– 35% of respondents said they currently have no internet access at home or at work;
– 71% said that multiple devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) would be connected to the hotspot during the loan period; and
– 96% said they would be using the hotspot at home.
The most common planned uses for internet access are communication (77%), watching online videos (63%), accessing social media (44%) and accessing online library collections (34%).
The report notes expanded digital literacy programming will be offered at all of Wellington library branches beginning in May, with partial funding provided by the same grant. The programs will teach basic technology skills to patrons, allowing them to make better use of mobile devices and online resources. Topics include computer basics, internet basics, and iPad basics. The courses will work in conjunction with the 70 iPads also purchased by the county with funding from the grant.
Long-term solution?
Given the hotspots are so effective, councillor Neil Driscoll asked if they could be used as a longer-term solution for rural residents without good internet access.
“Is there any thought or process by which we could rent them out to these residents? To me it’s a quick solution for something that seems to simple,” said Driscoll.
“Sounds like non-tax revenue generation,” noted Black.
Chief Librarian Murray McCabe pointed out the county would not be able to rent out devices under the terms of the current program.
“The province is very interested in our pilot program. We’re hoping to give the province some quick information and they gave us some funding,” he explained.
Warden George Bridge, who sits on a Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus committee working on expanding internet service to rural areas, said he would look into the potential for hotspots to play a role.
However, he said while he feels the hotspots are a “good short-term solution,” he believes “long-term we need rural broadband out there.”
Bridge noted the wardens group is “sitting on pins and needless waiting for the federal government to provide infrastructure dollars for the rural broadband project.
“The province has money sitting there waiting,” he noted.
Bridge said about $150 million is needed from the two upper tier governments in order to make the SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) program work.
“Both have said they want to help, but the proof is in the pudding,” Bridge stated.
Councillor Doug Breen expressed concern the SWIFT program might be outdated before it’s ever implemented.
“In much of the Third World the idea of putting wire into the ground is sort of an antiquated notion. What we’re on the cusp of here is the next generation of technology,” he stated.
“There’s going to come a day when actually stringing wires for communication is going to become as obsolete as a home phone at some point,” Breen added.
