Internet access is quietly changing Seattle’s tent cities

When Seattle librarians visited the gated cluster of tents and tiny houses that make up Camp Second Chance in White Center, they brought Star Wars comics, Dean Koontz books and Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild” for homeless campers to check out. But the most popular item was­n’t a book. It was a Wi-Fi hotspot in a lockbox with a combination. All 11 of them were checked out by the end of the evening. Since the library began bringing the internet to sanctioned tent camps, it has changed life for some of residents, giving them easy access to online classes, jobs listings and to reconnect with their families.