AUSTIN, Texas — After a successful pilot at the Southeast Branch location, the Austin Public Library (APL) is expanding its "Wi-Fi HotSpot Lending" program to include 10 branch locations.
The program, which originally launched in mid-December and ran for six weeks, lets library customers check out active Wi-Fi hotspots.
The program now includes the following branch locations:
- Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina St., 512-974-1010
- Cepeda Branch, 651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 512-974-7372
- Little Walnut Branch, 835 W. Rundberg Ln., 512-974-9860
- Pleasant Hill Branch, 211 E. William Cannon Dr., 512-974-3940
- Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd., 512-974-7500
- Southeast Branch, 5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 512-974-8840
- Terrazas Branch, 1105 E. César Chávez St., 512-974-3625
- University Hills Branch, 4721 Loyola Ln., 512-974-9940
- Willie Mae Kirk Branch, 3101 Oak Springs Dr., 512-974-9920
- Windsor Park Branch, 5833 Westminster Dr., 512-974-9840
"Residents look to the library for free Internet access," APL Director Roosevelt Weeks said. "The expanded hotspot lending pilot program will allow even more library customers to use our services without having to travel to the library every day."
A limited number of hotspots are available for check-out at each branch. APL said additional devices and locations will be added as funding becomes available.
APL said the hotspots and wireless services were purchased through the Mobile Beacon program at nonprofit Tech Soup. That program provides 4G LTE mobile broadband hotspots to eligible nonprofits, charities, schools and libraries throughout the U.S.
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