St. Louis Libraries Offer Wi-Fi Hotspots

    St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Public Library will offer wi-fi hotspots for check-out starting December 15, 2017. The mobile hotspots will allow people to connect to the Internet, anywhere, any time with a wi-fi enabled device.

    St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Public Library are coming together to help close the digital divide in the St. Louis region. According to American FactFinder (2016 American Community Survey), 11% of the households in St. Louis County do not have internet access. In St. Louis City, 22% have no Internet access. Offering mobile internet service to library cardholders will help keep the region connected. The hotspots will be a valuable resource for a variety of people, including students, job seekers, new residents to the area who have not yet set up internet, and to lower income households who cannot afford Internet service.

    Kristen Sorth, Director of the St. Louis County Library said, “We are thrilled to partner with St. Louis Public Library on another project that impacts people in the region. Meaningful internet access is essential for economic stability and educational attainment. By addressing the digital divide, we are providing important infrastructure for our community.”

    Waller McGuire, Executive Director of the St. Louis Public Library said, “Our libraries work together to provide St. Louis with vital connections to the digital world. People throughout the region rely on their library for access to the internet and everything it connects us with: work, school, entertainment, even government. Hotspots allow our patrons to carry that connection home or wherever they need it! ”

    Any SLCL (county) or SLPL (city) adult cardholder in good standing can check-out a Wi-Fi hotspot just like they check out a book. Patrons can request a hotspot online through the catalogs, at the circulation desk or by calling 314-994-3300 for SLCL or 314-241-2288 for SLPL. The devices can be renewed if no one else has requested one. Each hotspot comes with easy, step-by-step instructions.

    For more information about hotspots at St. Louis County, visit www.slcl.org/wi-fi-hotspots and at St. Louis Public Library, visit slpl.org.

    Program sites are accessible. Upon two weeks’ notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Contact St. Louis County Library by phone 314-994-3300, or visit www.slcl.org.