In an effort to continue free internet access to residents who may be unable to connect from home during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Burlington County Library System (BCLS) is boosting free Wi-Fi access from the parking lots of select branch locations, enabling users to continue to adhere to social distancing guidelines. With the closure of branches, many residents who relied on in-library internet access are left without this important benefit.
“Access to the internet is vital to all Burlington County residents, especially during this challenging time,” said Freeholder Deputy Director and Library Liaison Tom Pullion. “People are doing their part to practice social distancing and we want to do our part to make sure everyone is able to continue to go online to work, study, file for unemployment benefits, complete the Census, shop for essential items and more.
“To that end, ‘drive-up’ internet access is now available at several library locations.”
BCLS recently reworked its router hardware to extend free Wi-Fi access 24/7 from the parking lots at the Cinnaminson, Pinelands (Medford) and Pemberton branch library locations. Users are encouraged to park in spots close to the buildings and connect to the internet from their own cars using the network library_wifi.
Addresses for the library branches offering this service are:
- Cinnaminson Library: 1619 Riverton Road, Cinnaminson
- Pinelands Library: 39 Allen Avenue, Medford
- Pemberton Community Library: 16 Broadway, Browns Mills
“We know that many Burlington County residents rely on BCLS for access to the internet,” said BCLS Director Ranjna Das. “We are pleased to be able to continue to offer this essential service while our buildings are closed. In addition, we want to remind residents that they also have access to a wide array of digital offerings via the BCLS website.”
While all BCLS locations remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cardholders can still access online resources, stream movies and borrow ebooks and audio ebooks through the library website at bcls.lib.nj.us.
During this time, no physical materials should be returned to any library locations. Cardholders will not be charged any fines or fees for overdue materials and all library cards that were set to expire have been extended to June 2020. Residents who are not cardholders can apply for a card remotely through the library’s website.
For more information, please visit bcls.lib.nj.us.
