Opportunity Online Grants Will Help Public Libraries Improve Quality of Free Computer Access Used by Millions of Americans
Program to Help Generate $3.7 Million in Local Funding for Public Technology Access in 11 States
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced today $6.5 million in grants to help public libraries in 11 states increase and sustain free, quality public access to computers for their patrons. These Opportunity Online hardware grants will help libraries upgrade and add public computer workstations for patrons in communities with high concentrations of poverty and where a library’s public computers are at risk of becoming outdated with limited capacity for users.
Menomonie Public Library will be receiving 10 computers over a two year period beginning in 2010 from this grant. This is the second grant the library has received from the foundation. This is a great benefit for us as our budget would not support the purchase of this many computers and many of our public access computers are now getting very outdated and need to be replaced. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have given hundreds of millions of dollars to public libraries in the United States. Many small libraries would not have public access computers for Internet access if it were not for the efforts of the foundation.
“In today’s economy, more than ever, public access to technology in libraries is a critical resource for people who are working to improve their lives and regain financial stability,” said Jill Nishi, deputy director of U.S. Libraries at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “But this valuable public benefit that opens the door to opportunity for millions of people is at risk. Communities must commit the funds libraries need to ensure they can keep pace with local demand for high-quality computer and broadband access.”
“A rising unemployment rate in our county has stimulated even more demand for the technology resources at our library,” said Nick Slone, a librarian at Garnet A. Wilson Public Library in Waverly, OH, which is eligible for the grants. “Many people in our community without Internet access elsewhere now come to the library regularly—even daily—to take courses and search for jobs online. If it weren’t for the library, these people would simply not be able to use the Internet as a tool to find new opportunities in this tough economy.”
Since 80 percent of library funding comes from local sources, libraries eligible for the Opportunity Online hardware grant program are required to match the Gates Foundation funds with local dollars to show they can sustain investments in technology access in the future. The Gates Foundation expects that its investment will leverage $3.7 million in local funding to support technology access in libraries.
"Public libraries have been leaders in helping bridge the 'digital divide' in our state, and throughout the country," said Jesse White, Illinois secretary of state and state librarian. "Libraries enable millions of people to find important information online, search and apply for jobs, and benefit from technology tools they would never be able to access elsewhere. The Opportunity Online grants will help Illinois libraries build the support and momentum to sustain high-quality technology services for all our community members for years to come."
To date, the foundation has invested $350 million in grants and support to install and sustain computers in libraries and train thousands of library staff in all 50 states and U.S. territories. This will be the last round of grants given by the foundation to fund computer upgrades for U.S. libraries with vulnerable technology, but the foundation continues to support libraries through investments in programs, research, advocacy training, and public awareness efforts that will help libraries sustain high-quality online access for patrons in partnership with their communities.
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Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
