Foundation-government partnership puts Wi-Fi in libraries

The Hawaii State Public Library System will soon offer free Wi-Fi Internet access thanks to an Access for All grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and leveraged with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online money.

Matching funds were provided by the Friends of the Library of Hawaii and the Omidyar Ohana Fund, and through the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation. The University of Hawaii, the lead agency in the funding grant, purchased the equipment on behalf of the libraries.

Unlike a home network where Wi-Fi can be added by installing a wireless router for $100 or less, the price tag for the equipment needed to provide general Internet service throughout Hawaii’s 50 public libraries came to about $292,000. “Federal law and security concerns require us to have more expensive and complex equipment than an in-home application,” said state Librarian Richard Burns.

An announcement will be made when the wireless service becomes available. The Kaneohe and Salt Lake-Moanalua libraries already have wireless access, and testing for Wi-Fi connectivity is being done to expand that to the other 48 libraries. “We anticipate that this testing will be completed soon,” Burns said.