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LSTA 2021 Mini-Grant: WiFi Hotspot Lending Library Applicant 1. Your Natalie Natalie Menges 2. Position/Title Librarian 3. Library name Glendale Public Library 4. Your Email Address nmenges@glendaleaz.com 5. Phone number 6239303438 6. Library Address 5959 W Brown Street 7. City Glendale 8. Zip 85302 Project Description 9. Describe how the library wi-fi hotspot lending project will be implemented in your library/library system. What type of lending program will be implemented at your library? (For example, general circulation items, paired with laptop checkouts, support of a library program, limited to one type of patron) The Glendale Public Library will utilize the requested funds to support its existing Wi-Fi hotspot lending program. Funding will be used primarily to provide internet service to hotspots currently in circulation; remaining funds will be used to purchase additional hotspots and service. Since January 2021, the library’s LSTA grant-funded Wi-Fi hotspot collection has been available for patrons over the age of 18 to borrow for up to three weeks. Patrons at any branch can place a hold on the hotspots, but they are not able to renew them. Marketing materials are used to promote this service to prospective users, including families with school-aged children, online students, and job seekers. In response to the data collected from user surveys, the hotspot lending program and library services will be adjusted over time to meet the needs identified by patrons. Due to the pandemic, Glendale Public Library experienced vendor delays in the implementation of the Wi-Fi hotspot program. However, based on the number of existing hotspot patron checkouts, the library believes that there is a continued need and increased demand for this service within the community. 10. Who will be served by this project? How will this programming impact or benefit your community? Today’s digital society relies on access to internet services, yet 20.2% of households in Glendale, Arizona do not have a broadband internet subscription. The Velma Teague Branch serves the 85301-zip code, with 32.9% of families living in poverty, and the Main Library serves the second poorest zip code within Glendale, with 18.9% of individuals below poverty level. Wi-Fi hotspot lending enables Glendale Public Library to break down financial barriers that prevent patrons from participating in a digital society. Patrons can often be found standing outside the library attempting to gain access to Wi-Fi. Increased library computer usage can be largely attributed to patrons updating résumés, job searching, filling out online applications and trying to complete homework assignments. Wi-Fi hotspots will positively impact the community by closing the homework gap for students of all ages, supporting workforce development, and providing access to online information and services for library users who otherwise cannot afford it. Offering Wi-Fi hotspots provides an opportunity for Glendale Public Library to help patrons in minimizing the digital divide that exists within the community. (Statistics from American Community Survey 2019 11. If you are partnering with other organizations for this project, describe each partner’s role. N/A Budget 12. Provide a detailed explanation and justification of the proposed LSTA expenditures. Quotes, estimates, mileage, and other methods of calculating budget items should be detailed. The Glendale Public Library currently utilizes Mobile Beacon as the service provider for its existing Wi-Fi hotspot lending program. This provider was chosen because it is the most cost- effective. Mobile Beacon is only $10 per month per device, while competitors are $29.75 (T- Mobile) and $29.97 (Kajeet) per month per device for an unlimited plan. Mobile Beacon also includes the CIPA compliant filtering for no additional cost. Since Mobile Beacon requests that libraries pay a full year in advance, the service for the library’s existing hotspots has been paid through mid-January 2022. The library intends to purchase hotspots through TechSoup, which offers discounted hotspots for a $15 admin fee and $9 shipping per device, for a total of $24 per device including shipping and handling. TechSoup uses the provider Mobile Beacon and would offer the same $10 per month plan that is currently in place. With the requested funds, six hotspots would be purchased through TechSoup, which would cost $144 ($24 per hotspot, including shipping for six hotspots). This would leave $3,856 for service and marketing materials ($4,000 total grant funds - $144 for six hotspots and shipping). With an additional six hotspots, the Glendale Public Library would have 54 total hotspots (48 hotspots currently in circulation plus six additional hotspots), costing $540 per month (54 hotspots at $10 per month each). Seven months of service ($3,856 / $540), from mid- January 2022 through mid-August 2022, would be purchased with $76.00 left for marketing and promotional materials. Cases for the hotspots would be purchased with City of Glendale funds to maximize the amount of grant funds available for service. 13. Local in-kind services or funds are required for LSTA 2021 grants. For the mini-grants, please estimate salaries, wages, or benefits paid to staff for implementation of this project (including all salaries, wages, and fringe benefits paid to temporary project staff directly contributing to the project). In support of this project, the Glendale Public Library would provide the below-listed in-kind contributions. • Staff Time o Natalie Menges, Velma Teague Librarian, will serve as the project director. – $2,600.00 o Greg Kinder, Velma Teague Administrative Librarian, will coordinate with the project director to implement Wi-Fi hotspot circulation. - $1,872.00 o Tim Elias, Main Library Operations Supervisor, will coordinate with the project director to implement Wi-Fi hotspot circulation. - $1,456.00 o Merideth Jenson-Benjamin, Main Library Administrative Librarian, will coordinate with the project director to focus on in-house print and social media promotions. - $1,872.00 o Anna Caggiano, Velma Teague Library Technology Specialist, will assist with marketing and publicity for the Wi-Fi hotspot project. - $1,404.00 o Tami Miller, Main Library Tech Services Administrative Librarian, will coordinate with the Tech Services department to order and process the Wi-Fi hotspots and ensure that items will be available, requestable, and in the library catalog. - $1,140.00 o Chris O’Hara, Main Library Tech Services Librarian, will coordinate with the Tech Services department to process the Wi-Fi hotspots and ensure that items will be available, requestable, and in the library catalog. - $1,050.00 o Total: $11,394.00 • Processing Materials o Cases - 8 for $28.43 o Foam Insert - 4 yards of upholstery foam at $17.49 per yard. - $69.96 o Paper and print cartridges for Wi-Fi hotspot surveys and user agreements - $1,000.00 Total In-Kind Contribution: $12,492.39 Total Grant Amount: $4,000.00 Total Project Budget: $16,492.39 Certification of Application 14. As Authorizing Official for the applicant's organization, I certify this application to be true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. On behalf of all organizations participating in this application, I hereby assure and certify that I will comply with all regulations, policies, guidelines and requirements pertinent to the application and to the use of award funds. I agree that a final report, which will include a narrative, budget and certification will be submitted by the final report deadline. If this application is approved, I certify that the project will begin promptly, and will be completed as described. I certify 15. First Name 16. Last Name 17. Title/Position