County of Burlington (Burlington County Library System)

The Burlington County Library system's (BCLS) hotspot and device lending pilot program will bring internet connectivity and technology access to Burlington County's disadvantaged populations. The closing of libraries due to the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the digital literacy divide in the rural county, which has a large number of households without computers or internet access. The library system will partner with county agencies and local nonprofit organizations to conduct outreach, promote the lending program, and inform the public about the availability of hotspots and devices for borrowing. BCLS also will create simple tutorials to meet the digital literacy needs of economically distressed populations. They will measure the impact of this project by analyzing lending data and customer surveys.