Library Laptop and Hotspots Lending and Workready Programs

LA COUNTY LIBRARY

County Spending Category
1.4 Digital Divide
Federal Expenditure Category
Household Assistance: Internet Access Programs
Project Launch Date
06/01/2023
Anticipated End Date
06/30/2025
Written Languages
  • Spanish

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Number of Households Served
    0
  • Number of Work Ready Kits Assembled
    400
  • Number of Work Ready Kits Distributed
    400
  • Monthly Kits Checkouts (27 Library Locations)
    3140
  • Number of Monthly Work Ready Programs Schedulled/Events
    74
  • Number of individuals registered for work ready events this month
    31034
  • Number of Attendees to Monthly Work Ready Programs/Events
    9934
  • Number of monthly Kits on Hold - Number of Patrons waiting to for access to a kit
    4641
  • Number of Registrations to the GED Career Online Program
    316
  • Increase community GED preparedness = Career Online High School Graduates
    113
  • Number of Kits Assembled
    1400
  • Number of Kits Distributed
    1400
  • Number of Laptop Lending kits checked out monthly—number of persons/households that used kits
    11433
  • Equity Explorer Report Project Conclusion- #Households Without Internet Access
    171362
  • Number of Hotspots Assembled
    1300
  • Number of Hotspots Distributed to 85 Library Locations
    1300
  • Number of Hotspots Checked Out Monthly-Individuals/Households Using the Hotspots
    8507
  • Number of Hotspots Holds - Individuals pending to pick-up (7 days) or waiting for available Hotspot (Queue)
    12057

Target Populations

  • Small Businesses
  • People with Disabilities
  • Systems Impacted Individuals
  • Systems Involved Individuals
  • People Experiencing Homelessness
  • People disadvantaged by the Digital Divide

Project Description

The Library Laptop and Hotspot Lending and Work Ready project is an expansion of the laptop lending program throughout 85 LA County Library locations. This project will increase support of the region’s economic recovery and equity investment priorities by bridging the Digital Divide. At the break of the COVID 19 Pandemic, videos of community members sitting on sidewalks next to fast food chains or coffee shops to connect to the internet made headlines in both, media, and social media channels. With the closure of all Library Locations, our communities were left without access to the on-premises public access computers and laptops. As the need to address the social conditions that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted the health and jobs of minority communities becomes increasingly self-evident during this crisis, the Library Department realizes that access to resources such as laptops, internet and valuable information is a social determinant of health and wellbeing of our communities.

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description Provide the tools and increase opportunities for our communities to Increase the percentage of households with income above 250% FPL. Library staff will facilitate virtual events where Subject Matter Experts will provide information concerning topics related to critical job readiness preparation for community members seeking employment. Increase access to technological resources in communities most impacted the pandemic. To help our customers that are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to business and school closures and changes in access to health services, the LA County Library is offering access to 400 kits, mobile devices and internet access that can be checked out for in-home use. Library customers are asked to indicate through The Library department user agreement the reasons why the kits are needed: Job Seeking, Skill Building for job, applying for benefits, to help children with school, online leaning, access to social services, telehealth or other.

Objective Description 400 laptop kits will be strategically distributed to 27 library locations that will also deliver virtual programing that targets work preparedness.

Activity Description 400 laptop kits will be strategically distributed to 27 library locations that will also deliver virtual programing that targets work preparedness.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Number of Work Ready Kits Assembled 0.00 400.00
2 Service Delivery Number of Work Ready Kits Distributed 0.00 400.00
3 Performance Monthly Work Ready Kits Checkouts (27 Library Locations) 0.00 400.00

Activity Description Library staff will facilitate virtual events where Subject Matter Experts will provide information concerning topics related to critical job readiness preparation for community members seeking employment.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Number of Work Ready Programs Schedulled/Events this month 0.00 3.00
2 Performance Number of individuals registered for work ready events this month 0.00 150.00
3 Program Outcome Number of Attendees to Monthly Work Ready Programs/Events 0.00 100.00

Outcome Description Access to 400 Laptop and Hotspot kits distributed throughout 27 Library Locations to access Work Ready Virtual Programs and other Library Virtual Resources.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of Work Ready kits checked out this month—number of persons/households that used kits 0.00 400.00
2 Performance Number of monthly Work Ready Kits on Hold - Number of Patrons that will pick up a kit 200.00 50.00

Outcome Description Deliver virtual programing that targets work preparedness. Library staff will facilitate virtual events where Subject Matter Experts will provide information concerning topics related to critical job readiness preparation for community members seeking employment.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
2 Performance Number of individuals registered for work ready events this month 0.00 150.00
3 Program Outcome Number of Attendees to Monthly Work Ready Programs/Events 0.00 100.00

Goal Description Improve Literacy through access to Educational Resources

Objective Description LA County residents will have increased their access to programs and educational resources that may help improve literacy rates among participants and attainment of educational goals. Increase access to programs and educational resources that may help improve literacy rates among participants and attainment of educational goals.

Activity Description LA County residents will have increased their access to programs and educational resources that may help improve literacy rates among participants and attainment of educational goals such as the Career Online Highschool Program.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Performance Number of Registrations to the GED Career Online Program this month 0.00 60.00

Outcome Description Number of Graduates that obtain a GED
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Increase community GED preparedness = Career Online High School Graduates 0.00 50.00

Goal Description To help bridge the digital divide by ensuring that all LA County residents have access to LA County Library Virtual programming and services that support the role of families, parents, and caregivers in nurturing their children’s academic development and households’ financial success. This project will enable the making of 1,400 additional laptop kits to be checked out by our patrons for different reasons/needs.

Objective Description Based on the Equity Explorer Report, LA County Library serves a population of 3,705,998. 171,362 household members without reliable Internet access, will now have access to 1,400 Laptop kits with internet access hotspots and all Library virtual programs by June 2023 through 85 LA County Library locations.

Activity Description Based on the Equity Explorer Report, LA County Library serves a population of 3,705,998. 171,362 household members without reliable Internet access, will now have access to 1,400 Laptop kits with internet access hotspots and all Library virtual programs by May 2023 through 85 LA County Library locations.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Total Number of Kits Assembled 0.00 1400.00
2 Service Delivery Total Number of Kits Distributed 0.00 1400.00
3 Performance Number of Laptop Lending kits checked out monthly—number of persons/households that used kits 0.00 1000.00

Outcome Description The digital divide will indicate a reduction based on the Equity explorer reports for LA County Residents living in neighborhoods services by our 85 Library Branches.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Equity Explorer Report Project Conclusion- #Households Without Internet Access 171362.00

Goal Description To help bridge the digital divide by ensuring that all LA County residents have the opportunity to access LA County Library Virtual programming and services that support the role of families, parents and caregivers in nurturing both, children and adults' academic development and household financial success. In addition to the circulation of 1,400 laptop kits with LTE data, our library patrons will also have access to 1,300 hotspots for individual checkout to support their different reasons/needs.

Objective Description Based on the Equity Explorer Report, LA County Library serves a population of 3,705,998. 171,362 household members without reliable internet access will now have access to 1,300 hotspots with unlimited data which will enable access to all Library Virtual programs and online services by January. 31, 2024 through 85 LA County Library Locations.

Activity Description Based on the Equity Explorer report, LA County Library serves a population of 3,705,998. 171,362 household members reported to have no access to reliable internet will now have access to 1,300 hotspots with unlimited data. Hotspots will be available for a 6-week checkout.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Number of Hotspots Assembled 1300.00 1300.00
1 Service Delivery Number of Hotspots Distributed to 85 Library Locations 1300.00 1300.00
1 Performance Number of Hotspots Checked Out Monthly-Individuals/Households Using the Hotspots 0.00 1300.00
1 Program Outcome Number of Hotspots Holds - Individuals pending to pick-up (7 days) or waiting for available Hotspot (Queue) 400.00 50.00

Outcome Description An updated Equity Explorer report by the end of the project will potentially reflect a reduction to the digital divide by observing households without internet access indicators.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Equity Explorer Report Project Conclusion- #Households Without Internet Access 171362.00