Alachua County Library District

Foundation Helps Fund Expansion of the Archer Branch

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, September 30th, eight Board members attended the Library District’s Grand Reopening of the Archer Branch to celebrate the completion of a project that nearly doubled its size.  The Archer Branch opened in 1993 with 3,427square feet of space.  The renovation and expansion increased its size to 6,313 square feet.  Among the new features are a Children’s Area, a Teen Zone, and a CreateSpace which the Foundation funded with a $100,000 contribution to the total cost of about $1,000,000 for the library branch expansion.  The Friends of the Library funded a Quiet Reading Room.  The new addition also has two study rooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foundation Funded WiFi2Go Garners National Award

In September 2023, the Alachua County Library District received a Government Experience Project Award from the Center for Digital Government (CDG) for its WiFi2Go project.  In all, thirty-nine Government Experience Project Awards were presented in five categories (city, county, state, federal government, and special districts).  The ACLD was the only library to receive one of the six special district awards.  The award announcement was made during the annual Center for Digital Government virtual GovX Summit, which showcases the latest trends, best practices, and ideas around the evolving experience of government.  The ACLD created the WiFi2Go program to meet a need in the community for connectivity.  The CDG is a national research and advisory institute focused on technology policy and best practices in state and local government.

Thanks to funding from the Foundation, Alachua County residents who lack broadband internet service can now check out mobile hotspots from the Alachua County Library District with the new WiFi2Go pilot program. Three hundred hotspots are available for checkout for seven days.  They can connect up to five devices to the Internet.  Service depends on the availability of the T-Mobile network where the hotspot is used.

The Alachua County Library District Foundation contributed $36,000 in April, 2021 to purchase 100 WiFi2go Kits; an additional $36,000 in August, 2021, for a further 100 kits; and, thanks to the great demand, another $36,000 in June, 2022, for 100 more kits.  Funding from an anonymous donor made these purchases possible.  As Library Director Shaney Livingston noted, the program “doesn’t solve the digital divide problem, but it addresses it.”  And Library Public Relations and Marketing Director Rachel Cook stated, “I’ve been very inspired by the stories patrons have shared about how these hotspots are improving their lives.”  Funding the WiFi2Go kits is a significant example of how the Foundation is implementing its Vision Statement: “Enhancing the ACLD’s ability to enrich the lives of everyone in our community.

Alachua County library cardholders can reserve hotspots using the online catalog or by calling any branch.  Patrons can return WiFi2Go hotspots to any library branch.  Overdue hotspots will be deactivated after 24 hours.  Overdue hotspots will be marked as lost after 30 days, and patrons may be charged up to $85 for lost or damaged devices.

For more information on this program, go to ACLD website: www.aclib.us/wifi2go

Here are links to the Foundation Page feature prepared each quarter by the Foundation and published in the Friends of the Library newsletter, The Library and Its Friends.