As a result of a Performance Incentive Fund grant received in the spring of 2018, the GCC library purchased and currently lends technology devices like mobile wi-fi hotspots to students without a reliable internet connection at home.
An initial survey of students revealed the following:
- 34.1% of survey respondents reported being unable to complete schoolwork due to a lack of access to technology.
- 13.9% of respondents don’t have consistent internet access at home.
- 13.8% of respondents don’t have a computer at home.
- 76% of survey respondents indicated that being able to check out a laptop from the library would be helpful.
- Hotspots have circulated 131 times since we launched the program (they began to circulate in the summer of 2018)
- Laptops have circulated 22 times since we launched the program (they began to circulate this month, March 2019).
Items available for check-out include:
- 10 wi-fi hotspots
- 30 HP laptops
- 10 Chromebooks
- 3 MacBook Pro laptops
- 4 digital DSLR cameras
- 10 audio recorder
- 3 Kindle Fire tablets
- 1 mini projector
- 1 USB microphone