DeKalb County Library, BOC continue lending hotspot devices to help families who lack internet access

DEKALB COUNTY, GA—DeKalb County Commissioner Robert Patrick and the Board of Commissioners have partnered with tthe DeKalb Library Foundation to continue funding the  DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) program that is assisting families who don’t have home internet service.

The library system’s “Take Back the Internet Initiative,” a free mobile hotspot lending program, began in 2017 with 75 mobile devices at five library branches. . Since the pandemic, the demand for wireless hotspots has increased significantly. Thanks to funding from the DeKalb Library Foundation (DLF), the program was able to expand across all 23 library branches with 300 mobile units now in circulation as part of its bools and materials collections. Serving approximately 4,000 residents, the hotspot devices remain one of DCPL’s most requested items—each device is checked out the moment it is returned to circulation, officials said.

To continue  the Take Back the Internet Initiative, Commissioner Robert Patrick has allocated $31,800 from his District 1 Discretionary Fund to ensure that residents and students who rely on internet access for  everyday living activities and school work do not fall behind.

“The internet is just as important to our daily lives as electricity and phone services,” Patrick said. “During this post-pandemic era, where everything from school to work is conducted online, no one should be without internet access.”

According to the US Census Bureau’s COVID-19 Impact Planning Report, 16.9% of DeKalb County citizens do not have home internet. Furthermore, data from the Census 2020 Hard to Count Maps indicate there are many areas in DeKalb County where the lack of home internet access is as high as 30 percent, county officials said.

“We know there are many families in DeKalb County who depend on the Library for their internet needs,” said Library Director Alison Weissinger. “We appreciate this funding which will help us maintain the service on these devices which are so crucial to many of our patrons.”

To learn more about the Take Back the Internet Initiative, click here