Lambton County Library adds Wi-Fi hotspots to its collection

Live in Lambton County and don’t have access to reliable or affordable broadband internet? Lambton County Library branches can help.

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Cardholders can now borrow Wi-Fi hotspots for up to 14 days at a time, a library release said. Paired with a smartphone, tablet or computer, they provide reliable internet access.

The 15 Wi-Fi hotspots in the library’s 176,000-item physical collection join other non-book additions such as snowshoes, fishing poles and binoculars.

“Every year, we take a look at that collection and see if there are other things we can offer,” said Darlene Coke, the county’s library services manager. “We were also thinking about how we could provide more access to online information.”

The county library, which has more than 20,000 cardholders, will release nearly 528,000 books and other physical items from its 25 branches in 2023.

Cardholders also have free, 24-hour access to online services, such as electronic books, magazines, newspapers, music, movies, health information and educational courses. Last year, nearly 525,000 electronic items were accessed through the county library, which also offers public computers and Wi-Fi at its branches.

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“Some people struggle with getting connectivity where they live, or finding affordable connectivity,” Coke said, so library officials decided Wi-Fi hotspots were “an interesting, helpful and useful item to add to our collection.”

The devices must be reserved by calling a local branch or using the library’s online catalog or the Iguana Library app. Reserved Wi-Fi hotpots will be delivered to a local library branch for pickup.

Devices come with instructions but, Coke said, “My understanding is that it’s relatively straightforward.”

The hotspots can be shut down if not returned on time, she added.

While offering unlimited data access, the devices have content restrictions to comply with vendor policies, including not allowing access to streaming services, gambling or adult content sites.

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Wi-Fi hotspots align with public libraries’ efforts to provide equal access to information.

More non-traditional additions to the collection are expected to be announced later this year, Coke said.

Over the last 12 months, 822 cardholders borrowed or renewed 1,324 items from the library’s “specialized collection,” she said.

The most borrowed items were Ontario Parks passes, county cultural passes and binoculars.

Efforts have been made in recent years to fill gaps in broadband service, including projects initiated by SWIFT, a non-profit group in western Ontario supported by municipal, provincial and federal governments.

Once the SWIFT projects were completed in Lambton, about 4,000 homes were still underserved, said Robert Wilks, the county’s information technology manager.

Since then, there have been more provincial efforts to provide service to most of the county by the end of 2025, he said. Local providers Brooke Telecom and Bluewater Regional Networks also have been expanding broadband service in Lambton.

For more about library services, visit llibrary.ca.

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@ObserverPaulM

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