Gates Foundation expands library project

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced the expansion of its Global Libraries Initiative, a project that will invest $328 million over seven years to help developing countries plan and install free computer and Internet service in public libraries and reading rooms. According to the foundation, 87 percent of people worldwide have no Internet access. The Global Libraries Initiative aims to alleviate the problem of computer and Internet availability in 12 to 15 developing countries.

As part of the expansion, announced Thursday, three new grants were made to three countries, totaling $17.5 million. Of that, $16.2 million will go to the Republic of Latvia as part of a joint effort with the country's government to install broadband Internet connections in all of the country's libraries, provide an average of three computers per library, and train both librarians and library patrons in computer use. Of the remaining grant money, $1.1 million will go to Botswana to aid in a national effort to install computers in public libraries and provide Internet connectivity. Another $220,000 will go to the Republic of Lithuania to make computer and Internet access in public libraries free.

[nicmart]

Great news!

It will give the pervs, bums, and other assorted ne'er-do-wells a
better library experience. Nothing has done more to destroy the
public libraries than patron-accessible computers.

[DraconumPB]

That's just nonesense.

In what way have patron-accessible computers destroyed public libraries? Mine's still standing!

Honestly, though, what's more important - whether or not a bum can walk in a library and start browsing porn or the advanced development of a nation? If you read TFA you'd know that these computers are going into developing nations, not into libraries in the US, UK, etc. where alot of people, or maybe even the extreme vast majority do not have some sort of internet access, so this is kinda all they get. One person in fifty doing something out of line shouldn't screw things up for the other forty-nine. And how it negatively affects them in any significant way - at least, that can't be dealt with or curbed - is rather beyond me.

Besides, most libraries don't let you just sit down at a PC randomly and start using the internet. They usually make you check in or even have a library card.

I'm sorry, but I can't get past the fact that I find your viewpoint a little narrow and ridiculous, even.

[Seaspray0]

Access will be a benefit to libraries.

It will provide one of the greatest souces of research within reach of those who go to the library. I don't see that as destroying the public library. On the contrary, it makes millions of documents available online rather than having to house individual copies in each library (reduced cost for housing hard copies, greater access to documents, superb search features over traditional card systems...). Also, having the source of information in digital format makes it much simpler to revise with new information. As an example, yesterday I pulled up an exploded view of the heating system on an automobile on the internet. I doubt the public library would have held hard copies of that. USB storage devices (flash drives) are now small, cheap, and can easily hold your research. How about another benefit: By going to a digita source of information, you save the trees that would have been mulched into paper.

[Ryo Hazuki]

Of course!

I forgot everything remotedly related to Microsoft that not its bankrupcy has to bad news.