Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library in New York will provide equipment and resources to expand community access to the internet, the disparities of which were even more evident during the pandemic. Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots will be made available for patrons at 16 public libraries in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The program will provide these resources free of charge to communities where there are infrastructural and financial barriers preventing computer and internet access. Adults and children will be able to reserve and borrow laptops and hotspots for a predetermined length of time. The library will promote the program through its community partners, local schools, and community centers, as well as through outreach by neighborhood branch libraries.