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Gates Foundation Offers Library Grants to Latvia, Lithuania, BotswanaThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has expanded its Global Libraries initiative and plans to invest $328 million over the next seven years to support computer and internet access in as many as 15 developing countries. The first round of grants, announced November 30, will provide $17.5 million to the governments of Latvia, Lithuania, and Botswana to support internet connections in public libraries with little or no access and equipment.According to Global Libraries Initiative Director Martha Choe, this is the first time the Gates Foundation has offered grants to Eastern European countries. Previously the foundation has worked with the governments of Chile and Mexico to bring no-cost internet access to public libraries in rural areas. In Latvia, $16.2 million will go to the ministry of culture to provide public libraries with broadband connections, a wireless network, three computers per library, and training for librarians and users. The ministry is also contributing $21.2 million to the project, and Microsoft Latvia has committed $7.9 million in software. Latvian Minister of Culture Helena Demakova told reporters that “very few people in rural Latvia have access to computers at home or at work,” which makes the country’s ongoing efforts to connect more than 80% of its libraries to the internet crucial. “As minister, I visit at least 20 municipal libraries in rural areas every year,” she added. “I’m especially delighted to find that disabled people outside the capital not only have internet access but have started to work as trainees in these libraries.” In Lithuania, the foundation is giving $220,396 to the ministry of culture to help plan for a national effort to provide computers, internet access, and training to public libraries. In Botswana, $1.1 million will go to the National Library Service to plan for providing no-cost access to computers and the internet in 23 public libraries, 67 village reading rooms, and six mobile libraries. Choe said that the foundation’s Global Health initiative has already formed a successful partnership with the Botswana government to disseminate information on HIV/AIDS. In making these and future decisions on which countries to support, Choe said the Global Libraries initiative considers the percentage of population without internet access, the existence of an established public library system, and the government’s support of policies that encourage public access to information. Posted December 1, 2006. |
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