Eleven Prince Edward Island Libraries are now benefiting from new computer hardware and increased Internet access due to the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The grant was first announced last winter and the initiative is now ready to assist Islanders in accessing the Internet.
Most of these computers are now in place in library branches across PEI. The computers come fully loaded with Windows NT and a number of software programs including Microsoft Office Suite, Encarta reference titles including the encyclopaedia and a number of children's titles including Barney and Arthur. Each computer also includes a printer.
"The new computers are a wonderful addition to the library and to the community," says Mary Cameron, Georgetown Public Library. "The computers and Internet access are attracting more people to the library and allowing more Islanders in rural communities to take advantage of the opportunities made available through the Internet."
The computers are free for the public to use; and due to their popularity, library branches recommend that individuals call in advance to reserve time at the computer.
Several Island library staff also received training and orientation on the grant program from the foundation staff in Seattle.
Computers are located at the following public libraries: Confederation Centre, Government Services Centre, Bibliotheque J. Edmund Arsenault, Rotary Regional Library, Alberton, Georgetown, Kinkora, Montague, St. Peter's, Souris and Tignish.
The money has been donated as part of a library initiative that has seen the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation award more than $35 million to libraries in the United States and Canada since 1997. In an effort to bridge the "digital divide," which states that income levels contribute to likeliness to access the Internet, the foundation provides computer and Internet access to communities throughout Canada and the United States.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focuses on helping to improve people's lives through global health and learning.