Jefferson County residents who need better internet access to take online college or technical school classes or for telehealth appointments may pick up hotspots at the three county library branches.
Pam Withrow, assistant director of library services for the Jefferson County Library, said the system has purchased 99 hotspots with money from Missouri Department of Economic Development’s Coronavirus Relief Broadband Fund for Distance Learning and Telehealth in Libraries, as well as from Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.
Withrow said the library purchased 83 hotspots with $30,411 it received from the grant and another 16 hotspots with $5,813.39 the library system received in CARES Act funds.
The hotspots can be borrowed at any of the three library branches – the Arnold Branch, 1701 Missouri State Road; the Northwest Branch, 5680 Hwy. PP, in High Ridge; and the Windsor Branch, 7479 Metropolitan Blvd., in Barnhart. Withrow said the library has been offering hotspots for checkout since November 2020, but not many people have been taking advantage of the resource.
Withrow said Feb. 18 that the three libraries only offer curbside service at this time to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
“It is an exciting time to be able to offer a service like this with the pandemic going on,” Withrow said. “If people are not comfortable going to the doctor’s office but don’t have internet at home, this is a nice opportunity for them to do a telehealth visit. For the college students who may not have a solid internet connection at home, this could help them access their schoolwork easier and more reliably.”
Withrow said the library has designated 35 hotspots for students, 30 for telehealth appointments and 34 for general use.
People don’t need a library card to check out the hotspots available for classwork and telehealth appointments. However, they do need a card to check out the hotspots reserved for general use, and those devices may only be kept for two weeks.
A student would need to provide a photo ID to check out a hotspot, and someone checking out a hotspot for a telehealth appointment would need to provide a photo ID and referral note from a healthcare provider for the date of an appointment.
Students may keep the hotspot for a quarter or semester, and those checking out hotspots for telehealth appointments are asked to return the device a few days after the appointment, Withrow said.
If many devices remain available, the library may start allowing students in kindergarten through high school to check out hotspots designed for education purposes, she said.
Withrow said the 83 hotspots purchased with the Missouri Department of Economic Development’s grant will be available through November, and the 16 hotspots purchased with CARES Act funds will be available through the end of the year.