Gates Foundation Awards Grants to Support Internet Connectivity in Public Libraries
December 2, 2009, Philanthropy News Digest - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced grants totaling $3.4 million to bolster Internet connectivity in libraries in five states and establish partnerships with fourteen additional states to help public libraries compete for federal broadband stimulus funds.
Grants ranging from $363,099 to $977,468 will be used by Arkansas, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia to implement statewide plans to improve and maintain Internet connections in local libraries. According to a recent American Library Association study, the local public library is the only provider of free Internet access in 70 percent of communities nationwide, but 60 percent of all libraries say their current Internet connection is insufficient.
- Companies:
- Gates Foundation
