Santa Clarita Public Library visitors can now enjoy one of the fastest internet speeds available after a state grant was awarded for an upgrade, officials said Tuesday.

The upgrade to the internet connection, made possible through a grant from the State of California and the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), can now be experienced throughout the Santa Clarita Public Library branches.

The Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library, the Old Town Newhall Library and the Valencia Library are all part of the of the CENIC High-speed Broadband in California Public Libraries Project, according to City officials.

“This upgrade is going to help our customers immensely. We average around 8,000 hours per month of computer usage across all of our library branches. Our computers are used by our visitors to apply for jobs, conduct school research, find information and connect with the world,” said City Librarian Shannon Vonnegut.

The branches are now connected to California Research and Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity 3,800-mile fiber optic network operated by CENIC.

The high-speed broadband connection has increased the internet speed tenfold, from 100 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gigabit). The connection services public computers at all branches of the Santa Clarita Public Library, including personal computer devices used by visitors, according to officials.

“It’s crucial that we provide both reliable and high-speed access to information resources our customers need so they can be successful in their goals,” said Vonnegut.

Hardware costs for the project were covered through a grant from the California State Library. City officials anticipate to see a cost savings of 93 percent on monthly service when federal discount rates are applied, according to officials.

For more information on the CENIC project, visit the website here.

For more information regarding the Santa Clarita Public Library upgrade, contact City Librarian Shannon Vonnegut at (661) 799-6132.

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