Beginning April 1, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library will be circulating wireless hotspots as part of an initiative to bring wireless internet to students who do not have access at home.
Each branch library will have its own hotspot to circulate for 3 weeks at a time. The hotspots are intended for educational use and may be used for accessing internet resources for school projects, homework, and research. Daily and monthly data limits apply, therefore the hotspots may not be used for streaming video (Netflix, YouTube, etc.). The hotspots also have built-in parental controls and filters, which will block steaming capability as well as inappropriate content.
The hotspots will initially be part of a pilot program being implemented by JMRL that will be evaluated for potential expansion in the future.
A signed user agreement is required to check out a hotspot, and if a patron is under 17 a parent must come in to the library to sign the form.
A broadband signal may not be available in all locations, but this particular hotspot device chosen by JMRL will serve the majority of the library’s geographical service area.
JMRL serves the communities of Albemarle, Charlottesville, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson, and for its size is one of the most heavily-used libraries in the United States.
