New York public libraries will soon lend out Wi-Fi hot spots to low-income members who can’t afford Internet at home.
Beginning in September, residents will be able to rent Wi-Fi devices for up to a year from New York Public Library branches in areas with low-Internet connectivity.
But the free Wi-Fi won’t be available to everybody. Only those enrolled in the library’s adult-learning or after-school programs can borrow a device.
“We see a definite need in our branches — people don’t have Wi-Fi at home. They depend on us for their broadband,” said library spokeswoman Angela Montefinise.
The “Check Out the Internet” program will be paid for with a $500,000 grant from the Knight Foundation and through library fund-raising. NYPL, which has branches in Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island, hopes to purchase 10,000 Wi-Fi devices.