Register now for this upcoming NISO Webinar!
Supporting Access to the Internet in Under-Served Communities
Date: Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Eastern)
This 90-minute session will look at current activities by public library systems that are attempting to extend Internet access to underserved communities and households. Many public library systems—both large and small—are experimenting with the loan of Wi-Fi hotspots. What have been the outcomes of such initiatives? How might libraries—whether in urban or rural environments—better support patron needs for access to the Internet in a world where the assumption is that everyone is mobile and constantly online?
Confirmed Speakers:
· Rae Cheney, Library Services Manager, Keller Public Library, Keller, Texas;
· Maria Meachum, Director, Wilmington Public Library, Wilmington, Illinois;
· Nick Buron, Chief Librarian, Queens Library (NY)
Here’s what our presenters will be covering:
Learning from Keller: Best Practices for Lending Hotspots
Rae Cheney, Library Services Manager, Keller Public Library, City of Keller, Texas
A Wi-Fi hotspot is a device that allows library users to access the Internet well beyond the bounds of the library building. The Keller Public Library has learned a great deal about how to successfully circulate Wi-Fi hotspots since June 2016, when it became the first library in Texas to offer them. Rae Cheney, Library Services Manager, will share firsthand experience and best practices for offering this exciting new technology to your patrons.
Small Library budget, Big Library offerings: Bridging the Digital Divide in a Rural Public Library and Keeping up With the Big Libraries is Easier Than You Think
Maria Meachum, Director, Wilmington Public Library, Wilmington, Illinois
You may think you can’t afford a Hotspot Lending Program, but this program is a lot easier to get going than you might think. Library Director Maria Meachum lays out how it’s cheaper than you imagine, not the loss-prevention nightmare you predict, and more popular than anything else you’ve tried in a long time. She will talk about Tech Soup, local sponsors, vacation rental units, and tech tricks to stop theft. Challenging questions welcomed and answered.
Broadband with Curated Content; Queens Library’s Digital Outreach
Nick Buron, Chief Librarian, Queens Library (NY)
In late 2014, the Queens Library received a gift of 5,000 mobile hot spots from Google. The hotspots were the perfect complement to Google tablets given after Hurricane Sandy in 2013 and circulated with Queens Library’s curated content.
With the term of the gift over, the Queens Library has learned lessons as it seeks to leverage devices, content and Wi-Fi with other partners to make sure all 2.3 million residence have full access to 21st century information.
About Registration for this NISO Webinar: Purchase of a single registration entitles you to gather an unlimited number of staff from your organization in a class- or conference-room setting to view the event on the day of the live broadcast. It also includes access to an archived recording of the event to allow those with conflicting obligations to still benefit from the day’s content.
To register online, use this form. NISO Library Standards Alliance (LSA) members automatically receive access to this virtual event. If you’re not sure if you’re a member of the LSA, check here. Not a member? NISO offers a variety of registration options. For information about those options, visit the NISO event page.
Have questions? Get in touch:
NISO
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Suite 302
Baltimore, MD 21211-1948
Phone: +1.301.654.2512
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