Somerton, Arizona - The Somerton Branch of the Yuma County Library District has been selected as one of 20 U.S. libraries to participate in Community Connect: Digital Access at Home, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and Capital One that offers cash grants to help rural libraries offer internet access and financial education for their patrons.

“We are so proud to be selected from a pool of more than 170 applicants to bring Community Connect to the Somerton Library,” said Library Director Lisa Mendez. “We encourage people to check out a Wi-Fi hotspot! We are also excited to offer resources on online banking and money management to our community during a time when it is much needed.”

Five Verizon Wi-Fi hotspots are currently available for checkout to YCLD library cardholders ages 18 and older for a two-week lending period.

The Somerton Library also received a $2,000 cash grant to support virtual Spanish-language programs such as “The Benefits of Online Banking” and “Online Banking Safety and Security” from April 20-29, 2021. (Please see attached schedule of programs.) For more information, visit the Somerton Library at 240 Canal Street or call (928) 373-6481.

As the past year has shown, people across the country are increasingly reliant on the internet for essential services like education and tele-medicine, but rural areas often lack the internet access found in more populated regions. Twenty-two percent of Americans in rural areas lack broadband coverage, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

About the Yuma County Library District

The Yuma County Library District provides public library services to visitors and residents of Yuma County as “your center for information, community enrichment, recreational reading, and lifelong learning.”  Each library features books, magazines, newspapers, reference materials, Internet access and wireless service, CDs, DVDs, and best of all, helpful staff to assist you. www.yumalibrary.org

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation is headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Its subsidiaries, Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. We apply the same principles of innovation, collaboration and empowerment in our commitment to our communities across the country that we do in our business. We recognize that helping to build strong and healthy communities — good places to work, good places to do business and good places to raise families — benefits us all, and we are proud to support this and other community initiatives. https://www.capitalone.com/about/

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.