Bridging the Tech Divide: How GTA Libraries Are Closing the Homework Gap

For thousands of students in the Greater Toronto Area, reliable access to technology is still not guaranteed. Whether it’s a lack of home Wi-Fi, no working laptop, or no quiet place to complete assignments, the “homework gap” continues to widen the digital divide.

But across the GTA, one unlikely institution is playing a frontline role in leveling the playing field: your local public library.

📶 A Hidden Network of Equity

Toronto Public Library (TPL), along with libraries in Peel, York, Durham, and Halton, are stepping up as digital equity hubs—offering free:

• Laptop lending and computer access

• High-speed Wi-Fi

• Tech help and digital literacy support

• Homework clubs and quiet study spaces

With branches in nearly every neighbourhood, libraries are often the only tech-access point for low-income families or newcomers adjusting to Canada’s education system.

💡 Libraries as Learning Enablers

In TPL’s recent impact report, over 160,000 public computer sessions were logged in a year. Many of those users? Students completing assignments, applying for post-secondary programs, or working on school projects.

Initiatives like:

• TPL’s Wi-Fi Hotspot Lending Program

• Digital Access Cards for students

• Homework Help for Kids & Teens

…are helping narrow the gap one student at a time.

🧑🏾‍🤝‍🧑🏽 Community Partnerships Are Key

These efforts are often backed by partnerships with school boards, nonprofits, and tech donors. Programs like Connected North and Kids Code Jeunesse have delivered coding workshops and tech mentoring in library branches, making access more hands-on.

Some libraries even host pop-up maker spaces, where students learn 3D printing, robotics, or video editing—skills not always taught in schools.

🔄 A Call to Invest

As education continues to digitize, relying solely on at-home access is no longer sustainable. Libraries are doing the work, but they can’t do it alone.

Municipal and provincial leaders must recognize libraries as essential education infrastructure—not just optional community spaces. Investment in digital tools, staffing, and branch hours is critical to ensure all students can succeed, regardless of postal code.

📘 The Learning Curve is GTA Weekly’s weekly look at education in the Greater Toronto Area—because every student’s journey deserves attention.  Follow us @GTAWeeklyNews for more stories that shape our schools. #GTAToday #TheLearningCurve  👉 Coming next week: A new summer series kicks off exploring student mental health in and out of the classroom.