Kajeet recently hosted a webinar to provide some tips and best practices for managing a hotspot lending program for library patrons. We were joined by Jennifer Kirman, the Library Director at Walkerton-Lincoln Township Public Library, along with Eric Grubbs, an Account Manager at Kajeet. You can watch the recording here or keep reading to get some of the best takeaways from our discussion.
State of Libraries & Hotspot Lending Programs
According to ALA’s 2023 Public Library Technology Survey, almost half of libraries (46.9%) offer hotspots for checkout, an increase of 14.4% from 2020. Now that hotspots are an E-Rate eligible solution, it is expected that this number will continue to rise in 2025 and beyond.
During our October 2024 Library Hotspot webinar we surveyed 64 library professionals on where they are at in their hotspot lending journey. Here are the results:
- Already have a successful hotspot program (26%)
- Considering implementing a hotspot program (19%)
- We have a hotspot program, but it needs some improvements (55%)
“From the librarians I have talked with, I believe that we all can agree that we all feel like there is a responsibility to help our patrons stay connected.” - Eric Grubbs, Kajeet Account Manager
If we agree that the digital divide continues to be a challenge in communities across the country, now we simply need to find ways to make it easier to support those individuals who need it most. We want to give you some actionable takeaways to help you get devices into the hands of patrons, while also making it easy for your library to deploy and manage.
Grow & Marketing Your Lending Program Effectively
Are your patrons aware that your hotspot program is available? If you already have something in place, you most likely had a large effort initially to spread the word to patrons. You may have even distributed a survey to find out exactly how many patrons were in need of connectivity outside of the library. If it has been a few years since you launched your hotspot program, or if you are just getting started, consider the following:
- Survey your patrons and other community members to better understand the need for hotspots. Here is an example survey to use. We also want to provide an example of a survey from the Montana State Library for you can provide to anyone checking out a hotspot from your library [view here].
- Leverage social media to connect with your patrons, we see most libraries are currently leveraging Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Make sure you post about your hotspot program frequently to educate new patrons and remind existing patrons. Here are some of our favorite library pages to get some inspiration [Milwaukee Public Library, Rapid City Public Library, Timberland Regional Public Library, and Los Angeles Public Library.
- Connect with your local schools, organizations (Boys & Girls Clubs, community centers, shelters), and other government agencies. You can encourage these community partners to post on their own social media accounts, websites, and in their physical buildings to make community members aware that these hotspots are available.
- Hang posters around your community in school buildings, banks, grocery stores, police stations, homeless shelters, churches, adult education centers, and more.
“I think our biggest advertising is social media, which I think is the biggest for everyone right now. But the other thing that we did is communicate with the school corporation directly.”
Jennifer Kirman, Walkerton-Lincoln Township Public Library Director
Jennifer also shared a great idea she used when first launching her hotspot program. In a town of only 3,000 people, she was able to advertise the program on the back of the utility bills. While this might not be feasible in your community, it shows that getting creative is encourage when it comes to marketing your library’s programs and offerings.
Keeping Tabs on Your Devices
Devices not being returned is a common challenge libraries face with their hotspot lending programs. Here are some things you can implement to help prevent lost devices.
Make patrons sign a user agreement before checking out a hotspot. It is up to your library what contingencies you want to include, but some common ones are fees for lost or damaged devices, or not allowing other materials to be checked-out until the device is returned. Here is an example of a Hotspot User Agreement that Jennifer Kirman shared during our webinar that she uses at her library.
Work with a provider that allows you to remotely suspend service on your hotspots. Kajeet service includes access to a device and data management platform that allows you to suspend (and unsuspend) service on any device with just one click. We found that when you cut the service, patrons will feel more inclined to return the device. Here is what it looks like in our Sentinel platform.
Accessing Impactful Reporting & Analytics
When thinking about building a sustainable hotspot lending program, it is important to be able to access meaningful user data and reporting. Here are just a few real-life scenarios to consider:
- You leverage a funding source that requires proof of how many devices were being used for a specific date range.
- You need to present to a board or leadership team to prove the effectiveness of your hotspot program to continue receiving funding. Reports on how many devices are being utilized, and the types of resources being accessed are important data points to present in these situations.
- You need to understand what types of resources patrons are accessing while connected to your hotspots (job search, telehealth, education, etc.) to better meet the needs of your community.
- You need to make sure you are getting hotspots into the hands of patrons who need it most, so you look at usage trends across different times of the year. For example, you may find that during the summer, you need more hotspots allocated to K-12 students who don’t have access to school-issued devices and resources.
- You want to ensure you are allocating devices effectively across your different library branches, so you pull reports to see what usage looks like.
These are just a few examples of why being able to quickly access data about your program is important for the effectiveness and sustainability of your library’s hotspot lending. Some providers have this information, but you need to request it. These requests can often take a few days, if not weeks.
All Kajeet solutions include our Sentinel platform with real-time device information and reporting on device groups — allowing you to pull the data and insights you need, when you need them. Plus, we can set up recurring reports that get sent right to your email.
Funding Hotspots Using E-Rate
Federal funding is often critical to support library technology needs: almost half (52%) of libraries applied for the E-rate program in 2023 either individually or as part of a consortium for their building needs. During our webinar, we gained some insights on how many libraries are planning to leverage E-Rate to fund hotspots. Here are the results:
- Yes, I will apply for E-Rate for hotspots in 2025 (27%)
- I will likely apply for E-Rate for hotspot sometime in the future (13%)
- I’m not sure if I will apply for E-Rate for hotspots (33%)
- No current plans to apply for E-Rate for hotspots (28%)
If E-Rate isn’t right for your library (lack of staffing, low discount rate, etc.) ensure you have another funding source in place. If you are a K-12 school library, you can leverage Title funds for your hotspot program. Here is our Title Funding Guide.
For public libraries, here are some additional funding sources to consider:
- IMLS Grants to States [Find your state’s 2023-27 plan]
- Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grants [Learn More]
- Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program [Learn More]
Would you like to talk to someone about your hotspot lending program? Kajeet is here to answer any questions about device management, coverage, funding, and more.
