The Challenge
Computers and the Internet are powerful tools that connect people to vital information. Today, 87 percent of the world’s population lacks access to the Internet. The vast majority of these people—five billion—live in developing countries. They do not have the same opportunities as people in the developed world to find health, educational, and economic information that can improve their lives.

The Hope
To help close this technological and informational divide, the foundation partners with select countries to provide free access to computers and the Internet in public libraries. We believe that public libraries are natural partners in this effort because they have a long tradition as learning centers that are open to all citizens.

Our strategy has three critical elements:

1. We identify country partners through extensive research. We invite countries to partner with our Global Libraries initiative based on several criteria, including demonstrated need, the presence of a strong library system, necessary infrastructure (such as electricity and Internet capability), demonstrated commitment to public access to technology, and the potential for implementing and sustaining this critical service.
   
   
2. We provide resources. These include resources for planning, hardware, training, advocacy, evaluation, technical support, and project management. Our partner, Microsoft, donates software if the country requests it. Each country is asked to commit to the program as a full partner, requiring them to make a significant investment for infrastructure, librarian salaries, and Internet connectivity.
   
   
3. We encourage sustainable programs. We work closely with grantees to develop library-based technology services that can be valued and supported for the long-term. Specifically, grantees are asked to measure and evaluate their efforts to ensure they continue to meet community needs. We also ask that grantees take steps to promote library-based technology services as essential.

Our Global Libraries investments will build on our past successes. In Chile, we worked with local and national government leaders to bring free access and training to all of the country’s 378 public libraries. In Mexico, we are working with the National Council for Culture and Arts to support the same free computer access in about one-third of the country’s 8,000 libraries. Through our parallel U.S. Libraries investments, nearly every library in the United States now offers free Internet access.

Representative Grants

• BiblioRedes: Abre tu Mundo – $10.2 million to provide more than 2,150 computers, Internet access, and training to 368 public libraries in Chile (2000-2004); this grant brought the percentage of public libraries with computers from 10 to 100 percent
  
  
• Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes – $30 million to provide computers, Internet access, and training to approximately 2,400 libraries in Mexico (2002-2006)
  
  
• Botswana – $732,000 to plan for expanding free access to computers, the Internet, and training in public libraries and village reading rooms throughout the country
  
  
• Latvia – $16.2 million to connect 3,833 new computers in 874 public libraries to high-speed Internet, to expand access in rural Latvia, and for related training for 1,455 librarians
  
  
• Lithuania – $220,396 to help plan a national effort to provide free access to computers and Internet in Lithuania’s public libraries