Free Wi-Fi for Peterborough's libraries

Free Wi-Fi is being rolled out across Peterborough's 11 libraries from tomorrow (April 1).
Peterborough Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough. Photo: Rowland Hobson/Peterborough TelegraphPeterborough Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough. Photo: Rowland Hobson/Peterborough Telegraph
Peterborough Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough. Photo: Rowland Hobson/Peterborough Telegraph

Visitors will be able to connect to the internet via their own tablets, laptops and mobiles, making the libraries an ideal place for quiet work or study.

The technology was funded via an Arts Council grant of £25,000 via the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It follows on from Open+, the library access scheme which launched in May 2015 and enables people to enter the buildings during unstaffed hours.

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The number of people now signed up to Open+ is 8,500, which equates to around half of the libraries’ members.

Lisa Roberts, strategic client manager: culture and leisure at Peterborough City Council, said: “The new Open+ technology has been really well received by our library users and we’re looking to build on that with the Wi-Fi provision.

“While funding cuts have caused many other councils in the UK to close their libraries, we are finding ways to keep them open for longer and to attract more people to use them.

“Most people these days prefer to use their own laptops and tablets for their work, study and leisure, so by providing Wi-Fi people will be even more keen to spend time at the library.

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“It gives them the option to combine online research and learning with the in-depth insights from our books and other resources.”

The free Wi-Fi is available at all Peterborough libraries during opening hours, with the exception of Orton library where it will only be supplied on Saturdays.

Peterborough’s libraries are managed by Vivacity on behalf of the city council.