Anne Arundel County library launches Chromebook lending program at Brooklyn Park branch
BALTIMORE -- The Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) launched its Chromebook lending program on Wednesday at its Brooklyn Park branch.
Brooklyn Park Library customers are now able to check out one of 56 Chromebook kits equipped with a hotspot for up to 12 weeks.
The program was made possible with $50,000 of funding from T-Mobile for Government, Wellpoint Maryland, and the Library Foundation.
"To be able to use my telephone, my cellphone, without having to pay a lot of money for the phone company, this has been a godsend because it's free," said Grace Planalp, who checked out the first Chromebook.
AACPL officials said the program was created to bridge the digital divide in the community.
"Access to technology is really not a luxury. It's a necessity in today's world," said Skip Auld, Anne Arundel County Public Library CEO.
Officials said the Brooklyn Park library was selected for the long-term program because it has the most checkouts.
"This is the part of our county that has the highest levels of poverty and the most need," said Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman.
Waitlist for hotspot and Chromebook
On Wednesday, AACPL officials said customers have checked out more than 470 hotspots and over 300 Chromebooks in the last six months.
There are about 200 customers on the waitlist for a hotspot and 110 customers waiting for a Chromebook, according to officials.
"This way I can get on Facebook, I can get on email, I can talk to my children," Planalp said.
The library first started offering Chromebooks and hotspots for checkout in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time visitors were able to borrow a computer from the AACPL to take home.
At the time, only 50 kits were available, and they could be checked out for seven days at a time
