Internet connection woes in Baltimore County? Public library parking lots now offer free high-speed Wi-Fi.
A stable internet connection is proving to be a staple of quarantine life—to communicate and conduct business, for students to continue public education, to order groceries and other supplies from online retailers, and to stream and download entertainment.
Still, some Maryland residents and students find themselves lacking access to high-speed internet. In response, Baltimore County announced that nine Public Library branches would introduce externally-accessible Wi-Fi for free
Thanks to @wjz for sharing the news: Baltimore County Residents Can Now Access Free Wi-Fi In 10 Public Library Parking Lots. Story: https://t.co/TdG6oQsIfw pic.twitter.com/zdUgMI5Rni
— Baltimore County Public Library (@bcplinfo) April 20, 2020
Visitors will be required to stay in their vehicles and maintain social distancing guidelines, which will be "strictly enforced."
These nine libraries join the Towson library, which already offered external internet:
- Catonsville Branch, 1100 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD 21228
- Essex Branch, 1110 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, MD 21221
- Hereford Branch, 16940 York Road, Hereford, MD 21111
- Lansdowne Branch, 500 Third Avenue, Lansdowne, MD 21227
- North Point Branch, 1716 Merritt Boulevard, Dundalk, MD 21222
- Randallstown Branch, 8604 Liberty Road, Randallstown, MD 21133
- Rosedale Branch, 6105 Kenwood Avenue, Rosedale, MD 21237
- Towson Branch, 320 York Road, Towson, MD 21204
- White Marsh Branch, 8133 Sandpiper Circle, Baltimore, MD 21236
- Woodlawn Branch, 1811 Woodlawn Drive, Woodlawn, MD 21207
Alternatively, Baltimore County residents can use the BaltCo Go-Online Map to find the closest available free internet.
The Importance of Internet
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said of the announcement:
“This crisis has upended life in countless ways, and it requires us to find creative solutions to the challenges we face. We hope these new Wi-Fi resources will help narrow the access gap as we continue to work around the clock to identify additional resources to support Baltimore County families during these trying times.”
Baltimore County Public Library Director Paula Miller added:
“Access to the internet is critical, not just for work and homework, but also for our residents’ personal lives: checking in on friends and families is important to everyone right now. Our internet usage within our buildings is typically very high, so we know that there are many residents who may not have access at home. We are thrilled with this solution that enables us to utilize our parking lots to continue to provide internet service.”
How important is the internet in your day-to-day life right now? Do internet parking lots seem like a sufficient stopgap? Weigh in with a comment!
