COVID-19 Support for Libraries and Librarians: Internet Access & Remote Work Support

A list of West Virginia libraries offering open Wi-Fi is posted at this link, and we hope to update it each weekday at midday and at the end of the work day. Wi-Fi would need to be accessed outside the building when the library is closed, and Wi-Fi users should contact the library directly with any questions about their Wi-Fi connections.

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Some Internet providers are offering free or reduced-cost service to help students and employees now working from home. Some of these may be helpful to students and remote workers in your area.

Consumer Reports List

Consumer Reports published an article on March 14 listing various Internet Service Providers' (ISPs') plans to offer relief and discounted service to communities during the COVID-19 Emergency. Read the article here.

COMCAST (incl. free Xfinity WiFi hotspots statewide)

Comcast has made several free or low-cost internet offers to support the large numbers of newly-remote students and workers. One of these is to provide Xfinity WiFi hotspots free for anyone who needs them including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers.Comcast is also pausing its data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge, and it is offering its Internet Essentials plan free to new customers in its service area for 60 days.

For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit https://wifi.xfinity.com/. There are many throughout West Virginia. Zoom out on the map to find the ones nearest you.

For more about these offers, see https://corporate.comcast.com/covid-19.

SUDDENLINK / ALTICE ADVANTAGE

Households with K-12 or college students displaced due to school closures are offered 60 days of free Altice Advantage Internet. Contact Suddenlink for more information - (888) 633-0030. (Source)

Alpha Technologies of Hurricane
(Source)

Alpha Technologies of Hurricane has launched the West Virginia Work Remote Connection Initiative in which it will host participating companies' servers at their federally secured data center in South Charleston. This includes physical and virtual servers. Additionally, any software needed to enable businesses and their remote employees to connect will be installed along with voice/video services. This service will be provided cost-free for up to 90 days.

To apply or to learn more, contact Alpha Technologies at 304-201-7485 or wv-wrc@alpha-tech.us.

Distance Education and Engagement LibGuide (ACRL Pandemic Resources for Academic Libraries)

This guide from the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) lists numerous support resources for those newly teaching online.

This guide is a work-in-progress and will be updated as we are able.

Listings are not endorsements and may not be comprehensive. If you learn of something that you'd like us to include, please share it with the librarian below.