Mobile Technology and Libraries
By Lisa Aguilar
Perhaps a more common route to go when discussing libraries and mobile technology (phones and tablets for example) would be talking about Libby or library branch specific apps. However, libraries can also serve their communities with mobile technology by having it available to borrow as a service. In an article by Kelvin Watson for the trade publication American Libraries titled “Libraries on Call: Smartphone lending program bridges technology gaps”, Watson details how the Las Vegas–Clark County Library District came up with their Cell Phone Lending Program (similar to how the MiraCosta College Library lends out hotspots and laptops). According to Watson, “[t]he phones, which are being loaned for an 18-month period, have unlimited calls and 5G hotspot capability. Each phone was pro-grammed with more than 50 social service provider contacts, offering easy assistance for food, health care, housing, and other general services, as well as five of the most used library apps” (Watson 16). Since the program started in 2022 because of observing increased need for mobile technology due to closing from the pandemic, as of 2023 (the time of writing) “[...][the LVCCLD] provided more than 400 smartphones to people who are currently unhoused, offering them a lifeline to family, support systems, and critical social services” (Watson 16). This goes to show that being able to have technology such as phones available to borrow can truly support a library’s community.
Works Cited
LA THIS WEEK. “Tech2go Mobile Devices with Los Angeles Public Library.” YouTube, 18 Feb. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjYrKgMTKA. Accessed 13 May 2025.
Watson, Kelvin. “Libraries on Call: Smartphone Lending Program Bridges Technology Gaps.” American Libraries, vol. 54, no. 3/4, American Library Association, Mar. 2023, pp. 16–17. Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=8464a6bd495239b99f660412356719ea.
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Below is an example of a mobile (and laptop) technology lending program in Los Angeles:
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