Comcast partners with the Pikes Peak Library District to offer “Lift Zones” to four locations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Four locations in the Pikes Peak Library District now have "Lift Zones," which are an additional network that patrons can log into in addition to the Library Wi-Fi. This is the result of what Chief Development Officer Lance James said is a longstanding partnership with Comcast.

The partnership means a lot to residents who rely on access to reliable Wi-Fi in libraries, especially if they don't have it at home.

James said that he didn't realize how important Wi-Fi access was to patrons until he was assigned to check in on a library building during the closures during the pandemic.

"When I pulled into the parking lot, there was a patron who was tucked up against the wall, and they were clearly on their cell phone," James said.

The person was using Library Wi-Fi to apply for a job. He had been relying on it to communicate with his family, as well.

According to James, the district saw 1.6 million patrons walk through their doors last year, which is actually a significant drop from pre-pandemic numbers. With that many people in and out of libraries, and many of them relying on access to the internet, James said that some busy locations would see slowdowns.

The complimentary "Lift Zones" offer another solution to those slowdowns, giving patrons access to another separate and free Wi-Fi service.

"I just think that the library is here for everyone. And we want people to access the resources that they want to access and that they're in need of," James said.