Alabama Public Library Service

As the state library agency, Alabama Public Library Service (APLS), will expand an existing hotspot lending program to rural counties marked by high poverty and low household connectivity. According to U.S. Census data, Alabama lags behind the national average in household broadband connectivity, which is especially true in poor and rural counties. COVID-19 underscored this divide, and the project will work to increase reliable internet service in Bibb, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Covington, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Lawrence, Marion, Randolph, and Winston counties. In doing so, APLS seeks to improve patron access to needed information, and empower local libraries to proactively maintain a lifeline to online information in the event of additional disruptions.