LAURINBURG — The Scotland County Memorial Library Hotspot Loan Program is a collaborative program between the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, North Carolina State Library, and the library to provide hotspots to the students and citizens of Scotland County for free Internet access.
The focus of this program is to address the needs of county households which do not have home access to high-speed Internet services. Through this program, they will be able to connect at 4G LTE speeds through a cellular network.
A significant number of Scotland County citizens do not have access the internet. With a hotspot from the library you can connect a mobile-enabled device, such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet, to the internet. Since the students are assigned a Chromebook for school, it must be connected to the internet for access of its features, which are all web-based. The hotspot connects the Chromebook to the internet. Access to the internet and digital literacy are critical to success in school, in seeking employment, in managing personal finances and in pursuit of health and wellness.
In order to participate in the SCML Hotspot Loan Program, you must be prepared to present both your SCML adult library card and Social Security Card. The mobile hotspot will be checked out on a patron’s account for a 21 day period after which the hotspot is automatically deactivated. All hotspot kits include the hotspot device, charger and storage box. If individual parts or the kit is lost or damaged, the replacement costs will be the responsibility of the borrower.
Anyone with questions about this program or any other library program can call the library staff at 910-276-0563.