Springfield Technical Community College

To help solve this issue of Internet and computer access for low-income students, the Springfield Technical Community College Library proposes to launch the STCC to Go program. The library will pilot lending Chromebooks and mobile Internet hotspots to students. These units will circulate for a limited time period among students, allowing them access to both the equipment and the Internet necessary to conduct research, complete assignments, and take exams wherever and whenever needed. Knowledge is increasingly produced and consumed digitally; this is especially true in an academic setting, where textbooks, reference resources, and entire classes are online. Many public libraries have explored lending hotspots; this project will explore how these models can be adapted to community college settings.