91´«Ã½

Nearly 33 million U.S. households do not use the internet at home. Nearly twice that number of people in the U.S. lack skills to find, evaluate and communicate information using digital media.

The leading reasons: affordability and lack of training. Digital opportunity gaps disproportionately impact low-income families, rural residents and tribal communities, African Americans, Latinx communities and people with disabilities.

America's more than 120,000 public, school and academic libraries address these gaps and advance digital equity in our communities by

• providing internet access at the library and hotspot lending for those who lack home broadband.
• supporting digital learning opportunities that empower entrepreneurship, job training and retraining, and widespread use of emerging applications and devices.
• spurring home broadband adoption by increasing awareness of and confidence in using online resources and services.

For decades, the 91´«Ã½ has been the premier advocate for advancing digital equity nationwide through America’s some 120,000 public, school and academic libraries. Our advocacy has helped expanding benefits and library eligibility for the federal E-rate program to leveraging the library expertise and infrastructure to new funding opportunities. To speak with an 91´«Ã½ leader, policy expert or local librarian, contact: