A recent Alachua County Library District Foundation donation allowed the Alachua County Library District (ACLD) to add 100 more WiFi2Go mobile hotspots available for patron check out.

According to an ACLD press release sent on Tuesday, the Foundation’s board members again donated $36,000 in June to add 100 hotspots to the WiFi2Go collection, bringing ACLD’s total to 300 WiFi2Gos. The new additional 100 hotspots will be WiFi2Go Sizzlers—items that are not holdable for patrons and only available on a first-come, first-served basis at each branch.

The ACLD launched the WiFi2Go collection in April 2021 with 100 hotspots through a Foundation $36,000 donation. Alachua County library cardholders are allowed to check out a hotspot for seven days and can connect up to five devices to the internet at once with no fees or data limits.

In July of 2021, the Foundation’s board members donated another $36,000 to double the WiFi2Go collection to 200 units.

ACLD library cardholders can reserve regular (non-Sizzler) hotspots using the online catalog by searching for “WiFi2Go” or by calling any branch and can return WiFi2Go hotspots to any library branch.

“We are thrilled to expand this important service and grateful for the Foundation’s support,” said ACLD director Shaney T. Livingston. “The WiFi2Go program is a huge success, and these additional hotspots will allow us to connect even more patrons with reliable internet access.”

The ACLD received the 2022 Wi-Fi At Work Award: Community Connectivity Superheroes for its WiFi2Go program. WifiForward created the Wi-Fi At Work Awards to highlight the good that Wi-Fi does across the country and honor individuals and organizations who use Wi-Fi to bring connectivity to their communities during the pandemic.

The ACLD also offers computers with free Internet and WiFi access for public use at all 12 of its locations.