Connecting to the internet is a necessary part of navigating the world today. Getting online lets you learn things, pay bills, catch up with family, search the library catalog and much more. At the library, we help our community regularly access and learn how to use technology through free resources and programs.
“Access to the internet — and access to devices — touch every single part of our lives imaginable,” says Digital Inclusion Coordinator Junix Seraphim. “That includes job searching, education, civic engagement, socializing, online shopping, healthcare and more.”
What is digital inclusion?
Many things intersect to create digital inclusion. Three big parts of the puzzle include:
- Reliable and affordable access to the internet.
- Devices to get online, which can include smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets and more.
- Knowing how to get online, use your device, and accomplish your goals — plus support when you need it.
This is just the beginning. And as technology constantly changes, digital inclusion must also keep evolving. There is an increasing need to address the gap between those who can effectively connect online and those who can’t. The digital divide reflects current inequalities in the world, and disproportionately impacts people who are low income, have disabilities, are BIPOC, live in rural areas, and are older.
“The majority of people in the U.S. and around the world are working class,” said Junix. “It’s important to me to provide education on how to use technology to low income communities. People might not have been able to access the latest technology or have felt emotional burdens around not knowing how to use technology or not owning a device. I am grateful to be able to share my computer skills with the library community!”
How does the library support digital inclusion?
There’s a few different ways we support equitable access to technology for our community at the library.
Free access to technology at our libraries
Interested in using technology for free at one of our libraries? We’ve got your back.
Free internet access: We provide free wi-fi access at all of our open libraries. In the last year, we began recording how many individual devices accessed our wi-fi at a specific library once per day. On average, over 108,000 devices accessed library wi-fi each month, for a yearly total of over one million!
Technology-enabled community rooms: A number of community rooms in our libraries have audiovisual equipment. This allows you to connect a device and then connect with the outside world, whether that’s a family video call or a remote job interview.
In-library devices: You can find public computers at every open library. Plus, some of our new and renovated libraries offer laptops you can check out and use in the library for research, work and entertainment. Fun fact: before the Multnomah County Library Capital Bond, we could only offer self service Chromebook check out at Central Library!
The voter-approved 2020 bond allowed us to increase how much digital access we could offer to our community. This has led to:
- 100 new computers, laptops and tablets so far at our updated locations.
- Fast free internet — plus more speed as compared to before the bond! Every updated library has a fiber optic internet connection with 10Gbit symmetrical upload and download. That means the library internet can send and receive data at the same lightning-fast speeds! You'll get a much better and smoother experience with things like video calls or gaming because videos won't freeze or lag. It also makes everything faster and more reliable for remote work or cloud applications.
- Updated tech for teen spaces, including gaming devices and Mac computers for multimedia editing, supported by The Library Foundation.
- Modern AV technology in 27 new community rooms and spaces that can be used for presentations, gaming, closed captioning, sign language interpretation and more.
- Technology for multimedia editing, sound recording and more in multiple new community rooms.
Plus, when the all-new East County Library opens, we’ll also have our second dedicated makerspace and our first-ever studio for audio recording and editing. We can’t wait to share these new resources with the community!
Events and programming
You can find events and programming at our libraries to learn basic skills or build on what you already know.
Tech help sessions: We help you with technology at the library. Help is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese. You can get help through appointments and drop-in sessions.
Computer and technology classes: We also have lots of computer and tech events where you can learn — or expand — your skills! Come on in to get a foundation in computer basics, learn about spreadsheets, optimize your email, set up your iPhone or Android device, learn music software and more.
We’re proud to partner with our friends at Free Geek to provide digital literacy training to people who need to learn basic computer skills. Through our multi-week Welcome to Computers course, participants come to the library to learn skills like how to use the internet, send emails, and connect to online resources. At the end of the classes, the participants learn how to use a laptop from Free Geek that they get to take home for free!
“I am personally passionate about serving migrant communities, and Welcome to Computers is an example of serving many migrants and immigrants,” said Junix. “Folks have shared their experience of having very recently immigrated, and how the resources of both technology education and device access opened up opportunities for employment and connection to families and friends back home.”
Explore free library technology resources plus computer and tech events at our libraries all year long! Come visit your local library and learn something new with us.
Itching for more digital inclusion? Check out our community partners Free Geek. They support the community with sessions in navigating the digital world, offering free or affordable devices to those who qualify, accepting used device donations for upcycling and more.