Learn more about Community Connect, an initiative of ALA and Capital One, which offered grants and resources to help support digital access and financial capability in rural communities nationwide from 2020 - 2025. This article was written by Community Connect's external evaluator, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (PIE) Org.
Storm Lake Public Library, Iowa
Storm Lake, Iowa (population approximately 11,600) is a uniquely vibrant, highly diverse, and rapidly evolving rural community. Storm Lake features an international, non-White majority population—including large Hispanic, Asian, and Micronesian communities—with over 30% of its residents born outside of the United States. While the city itself features competitive broadband infrastructure, profound economic and linguistic barriers create a steep local digital divide for its substantial working-class and immigrant demographic. In this environment, free digital and internet access at the Storm Lake Library provides a bridge for local families who cannot afford home internet subscriptions, offers vital connectivity for students when the school district runs out of devices, and alleviates computer anxiety through hands-on workshops meeting the emerging needs of the community.
As implementation of the Community Connect initiative began, the library board of directors drafted a hotspot policy and a borrower’s agreement. Staff was highly communicative to ensure a smooth lending process – working together to align front desk procedures for checking out and checking in the devices and conversing with patrons about their responsibilities prior to checking out a device. The hotspots were circulated a total of 182 times between January 2025 and May 2026. Patrons shared various uses for the hotspots:
“Being able to stay connected with family, able to put out job applications.”
“I was able to attend an online class I had.”
“I was in the process of moving, so it gave me access while I got Wifi installed.”
For Financial Capability programming, Storm Lake partnered with local financial institutions to offer workshops about bank loans and credit ratings, investing for retirement, and estate planning; a total of three workshops were attended by 28 patrons. Although the library experienced lower attendance at Digital Literacy workshops, they found success by offering one-on-one digital support to their patrons. A staff member shared,
“We saw computer anxiety evaporate at this program. Phones and tablets problems were given the same attention. In time, people came to ask questions about an email or Excel problem.”
Over the course of the project, library staff also deepened their understanding of community needs and their capacity to facilitate programs. A Storm Lake patron shared,
“The Library has grown in many ways. Very reliable resources and helpful programs to the community.”
East Carroll Parish Library, Louisiana
East Carroll Parish, located in the far northeastern corner of Louisiana along the Mississippi River, faces profound socioeconomic challenges, characterized by a rapidly shrinking population of approximately 6,760 residents and poverty rates as high as 40%. Almost one-third of households completely lack a home broadband subscription, and many families are restricted to relying entirely on cell phones for internet use. Therefore, over the past several years, grassroots organizing has worked to greatly expand broadband access in the area. One of those partners, East Carroll Parish Library, serves as a vital community cornerstone dedicated to providing essential resources, information, and educational opportunities to all parish residents. Through its Community Connect: Fostering Digital Access initiative, the library deployed mobile Wi-Fi hotspots and offered financial and digital programming to directly target the localized digital divide.
East Carroll Parish used the hotspot lending program to expand off-site internet access for residents who lacked reliable connectivity. Hotspots were circulated a total of 183 times throughout the grant. Library staff also used a hotspot with the mobile branch of the library to help patrons to check out books, magazines, DVDs, and other library materials. A patron shared,
“I was able to accomplish important things that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do. It works for the community!”
The library also offered financial and digital programming, including workshops about how to take a business to the next level, how to avoid scams and financial exploitation as an older adult, and how to make informed healthcare decisions by understanding how Medicare works; attendance totaled 56 patrons across the three programs.
Through the program, East Carroll Parish was able to expand patron’s access to technology, especially among those who previously lacked internet access. The library observed increased demand for one-on-one assistance and program participants who began using more library services beyond the program. The project also revealed a need for foundational instruction around digital skills, and staff gained experience and confidence in meeting this need. When reflecting on the impact of the grant, a staff member shared,
“The program increased educational program efforts and volunteer support of library programming. The program has allowed the library to enhance its outreach programs by offering more diverse programs to seniors, job seekers, and individuals without home internet access. The award and success of this program has increased the library’s visibility as the most vital resource within the community.”
In Conclusion
Ultimately, Community Connect: Fostering Digital Access is a valuable program for library patrons and rural communities across the country that experience a digital divide. The resources and programs were met with appreciation from library workers and patrons, both of whom are grateful to ALA and Capital One for this opportunity. Educational opportunities have opened doors for patrons and have also increased the visibility of libraries as key hubs in communities.
