The Future of Libraries Is in the Community
Libraries are doubling down on their role in expanding digital access. To reach vulnerable groups even after the pandemic, that means getting outside their own building.
During the pandemic, the Aurora Hills Branch Library in Virginia was one of many to set up free internet hotspots for its residents. Now libraries are thinking about ways to continue expanding digital access outside the four walls of their buildings.
Photographer: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images
During the pandemic, American public libraries found ways to continue providing services to their communities — particularly one that was sorely needed: internet access. They gave people access to WiFi from their parking lots, turned vans into mobile hotspots and gave out portable devices for home use. Their efforts offer a glimpse into the more expansive physical presence many libraries will likely take on after the pandemic, particularly to serve their most vulnerable patrons.
“Libraries are going to recognize that their role is not just within the walls of their buildings, but it is across the landscape of their community and in people’s homes,” says Lisa Guernsey, director of teaching, learning and tech at New America. “The days of having a computer lab are going to be receding. Instead people need to be able to get online from home.”