Dublin Public Library has been selected as one of 20 U.S. libraries to participate in Community Connect: Digital Access at Home, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and Capital One that offers cash grants to help rural libraries offer internet access and financial education for their patrons.
“We are so proud to be selected from a pool of more than 170 applicants to bring Community Connect to Dublin,” said Library Director Adina Dunn. “We encourage people to check out a WiFi hotspot! We are also excited to offer resources on online banking and money management to our community during a time when it is much needed.”
Community Connect will begin at Dublin Public Library on December 10, 2020. Starting on that date, five Verizon WiFi hotspots will be available for checkout on a first come first service basis. The hotspots will have a loan period of two weeks and be limited to one per household.
Dublin Patrons, who are 18 and over, can check out the hotspots for a period of two weeks.
Dublin Public Library will also receive a $2,000 cash grant to support upcoming financial literacy programs. For more information and a calendar of upcoming library programs, visit www.dublinlibrary.org.
As the past year has shown, people across the country are increasingly reliant on internet for essential services like education and telemedicine, but rural areas often lack the internet access found in more populated regions.
Twenty-two percent of Americans in rural areas lack broadband coverage, according to the Federal Communications Commission.
Capital One Financial Corporation is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Its subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. For more information, visit capitalone.com/about/
—submitted