Gigabit Libraries: Improving Connectivity

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2022

The Gigabit Libraries project was a large-scale collaborative partnership between LA County Library and LA County Internal Services Department (ISD) to implement network installation at all of the system’s 85 libraries to provide faster and more reliable wireless internet access to library customers. Prior to this project, many library locations had 12-year-old wireless access points and legacy wiring in the buildings, making internet connectivity limited to 20-30 megabits per second (Mbps), when most residential accounts perform at 100 MB per second. Installing new network cables and running new circuits allows the Library to connect to the California Research and Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity network that serves a vast majority of research and education institutions in California. The project began in 2018 and was fully completed in 2021, increasing connectivity speed at all libraries up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). This project has not only improved service to many customers who are negatively impacted by the digital divide and rely on the library for internet and computer access, but also laid the foundation necessary for other innovative technology projects on the horizon that will improve how the Library services its communities.