January 2016

According to the American Library Association’s 2015 State of American Libraries report, the modern library has evolved from its traditional role as a research-centric establishment to a central location for digital access, learning and literacy. In Seattle (WA), the public library has seen an enormous demand for Wi-Fi hot spots and is moving to boost the number of devices available to constituents.

Library spokesperson Caroline Ullmans said the city’s Wi-Fi checkout program, which started in May 2015, is popular for a number of reasons including the lack of home service and income limitations. “We started with a grant from Google and most recently, through the support of the mayor and city council, they have added money to our budget to extend the life of the initial Google grant to add more hot spots and serve more people,” She said. “Over the course of the next year, we’ll be adding 450 more [devices].” The waiting list for the 325 available mobile hot spots has surpassed more than 1,000 library cardholders since the program’s start. Ullmann said unprecedented demand was behind the city’s push to add almost 500 more devices in 2016. “We really feel a commitment to help close the digital divide for Seattle residents, particularly those who live on low incomes,” she said. “A city of Seattle survey from 2014 found that a significant number of people lack Internet access at home … more than 50 percent of people whose income was under $20,000 [a year] had no access to the Internet.”

This is a scenario anchored in a familiar bargain that is offered in many existing retail environments. Many consumers already allow their shopping preferences to be tracked and sold to other companies in return for discounts on products, and some 47% of adults say they would be comfortable with the following scenario: "A grocery store has offered you a free loyalty card that will save you money on your purchases. In exchange, the store will keep track of your shopping habits and sell this data to third parties."

By comparison, 32% say it would not be acceptable, and another 20% say it would depend on the circumstances of the offer. Those ages 50 and older are somewhat more likely than younger adults to say that this arrangement would not be acceptable: 39% of those 50 and older say this deal would not be acceptable, compared with 27% of those ages 18 to 49. In addition, those in households earning less than $30,000 per year are more likely than those in higher-income households to say this deal would be acceptable: 56% of those in lower-income households say the loyalty card bargain is acceptable vs. 43% of those in higher-earning households.