ADAMS, Mass. – The Adams Free Library now lends out mobile hotspots and plans to purchase more.

 

Library Director Holli Jayko told the trustees last Thursday that the mobile hotspots are already popular among patrons.

 

"They allow people who don’t have an internet to access it in their homes," she said. "We have a lot of people here who can’t afford internet access and I think this is a good thing."

 

The devices allow patrons to take home a self-contained mobile hotspot to access Wi-Fi. The hot spots are in addition to the library’s growing collection of unconventional lending items.

 

Jayko said patrons can take the hot spots for three days and can renew for another three days but only up to six days at a time.

 

Jayko said the device is easy to set up.

 

"I tried it and it's really easy to set up," she said. "The instructions are simple, and it is all self-contained."

 

Jayko added that the devices provide secure internet and do not store any information.

 

"It is like using an open network but the only person that can use it is the person who knows the key," she said. "It is password protected and does not store any data, so it won’t tell me what you did while you borrowed it…it is safe but I probably would not do my banking on it."

 

She said currently the library is currently borrowing a policy from another library but she plans to craft one that is Adams specific for the trustee’s consideration. 

 

She said if patrons fail to return the unit, patrons will be charged $1 a day and the unit will be deactivated. She said if they are not returned, the borrower will be charged $175. 

 

Currently, there are two devices at the library and Jayko plans to purchase a third one in the near future. She said eventually she would like to have five units.

 

In other business, Jayko said she has begun the budget process and with the recent departure of Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco, she was told to keep the budget flat.

 

"We were told to make cuts where we can and just level fund," she said. "The town is waiting on a few things to come in…that will help them navigate the budget."

 

Before closing Trustee Brain Bishop said he would like to see if it was possible to install a low-temperature alarm in the building so someone is notified if the temperature drops to a level that could potentially freeze pipes.