Arizona State University: “No Internet, No Power, No Problem: Solar Library Empowers Schools Abroad”

From Arizona St. University:

Many islands in the Pacific Ocean lack two things that are essential for accessing information and performing educational pursuits: a library and the internet.
Without this access, many teachers are without strong lesson plans or curriculum and community members lack books and multimedia.
But a new Arizona State University faculty member has figured out a way to deliver a digital library that doesn’t depend on existing internet connectivity — rather, it comes with its own Wi-Fi hotspot.
Laura Hosman is an assistant professor who began a joint appointment in ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society this semester.
Her innovative device, the Solar Powered Educational Learning Library, known as SolarSPELL, is a digital library full of educational resources that generates its own Wi-Fi signal and solar power. All that is needed to access the information is an internet-capable device, such as an iPad, laptop or smartphone. Basically, it’s a self-powered plug-and-play kit, portable enough to fit into a backpack.

Read the Complete ASU Now Article
Learn More, Visit the SolarSPELL Website
on a Related Note…Make Sure to Take a Look at LibraryBox From Librarian Jason Griffey

LibraryBox is a digital distribution tool for education, libraries, healthcare, and emergency response. Anywhere there is a lack of open internet access, LibraryBox can bridge the gap of information delivery.

Filed under: Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, News