Comcast awarded the Boston Public Library Fund a $50,000 grant to expand the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) popular Connectivity Kit program, which loans a laptop and Internet connectivity to library patrons for up to 21 days. This donation strengthens the BPL’s efforts to bridge the digital divide by doubling the number of kits available to Boston residents with a library card, making it easy to access critical online learning and digital literacy resources. The increased number of kits will dramatically reduce patrons’ average wait time from a previous high of nearly 40 days to just one day.
“We are deeply grateful to Comcast for this vital support enabling us to extend the reach of our Connectivity Kits, especially with students in Boston back at school,” said Boston Public Library President David Leonard. “With this grant, the BPL can further its dedication to empowering patrons of all ages with the tools they need for educational and professional development.”
“Access to the Internet is an indispensable element of modern society and the Connectivity Kits are one of the most circulated items across the BPL,” says Keith Gillette, Chief Technology Officer at the Boston Public Library. “Now, with Comcast’s generous support, we will have the ability to maintain a full fleet of kits.”
This grant is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials, Lift Zones and Digital Navigators.
“We’re delighted to partner with the Boston Public Library to help its patrons access a future of unlimited possibilities,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region. “Today, having a connected device coupled with digital literacy is vital, which is why we continue to provide and support programs that empower individuals to advance their skills to set them up for their professional futures.”
Comcast is deeply committed to advancing digital equity in the communities it serves. Over the past three years, the company has invested over $54 million in cash and in-kind contributions to 238 non-profits in Massachusetts. Since its inception in 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than 732,000 low-income Massachusetts residents to broadband service at home. Additionally, Comcast has launched more than 1,250 Lift Zones in community centers nationwide – with 76 locations in Massachusetts alone – to provide students and families with free, high-speed WiFi and digital skills training.
For more information about the BPL’s Connectivity Kit program or to reserve a kit, please visit bpl.org.
