It's spreading! It's SPREADING!!! (But...)

Looks like the borrow-a-mobile-hotspot-from-the-library idea is catching on.  The New York and Chicago public libraries are starting up lending programs, according to USA TODAY and the New York Post. 

One reservation, though.  It appears Gotham and the Windy City want to limit their programs, at least initially, on the basis of their assessment of their patrons' need for such assistance.  They and other library systems looking at jumping into this just might want to rethink that.  Even though a private foundation is bankrolling this at present, bear in mind that not only is that money available largely through the foundation's tax-exempt status, but the libraries themselves are tax-exempt entities-which is another way of saying it would behoove them to avoid ending up on the fighting side of anyone who could potentially threaten either that tax-exempt status or the public (read taxpayer) funding on which they depend.  

Can you imagine a librarian telling you that you can't check out a book because you don't need it?  Well, perhaps you could imagine being told that someone else needs it more right at the moment for a legitimate reason-a student with a special project due, for instance-and being asked if he or she can have it now provided you get next crack at it.  Maybe the libraries should put their heads together with that foundation and come up with a similar policy for checking out the Internet.  Merely saying no to anyone not meeting a certain arbitrary standard likely won't go over well in Congress, especially these days.

And while we're on the subject of taxpayer funding...here's something interesting I came across on a Washington Post blog concerning the new federal e-rate funding for library Wi-Fi.  Methinks that not only do the complaining libraries have a point, but that the FCC needs to pull back a bit or they may find themselves in a similar situation to the one that threatens above-only they'll be explaining to Congress why so much taxpayer money is going to build so many networks that are getting so little use, while others already at capacity can't get funds to expand.