Newfoundland public libraries receive a million-dollar grant from Bill and Melinda Gates

NEWFOUNDLAND, Canada -- Sixty-seven of Newfoundland and Labrador's public libraries will soon have more computers and increased Internet access thanks to an $1,007,919 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Education Minister Judy Foote announced today. Separately, Microsoft Canada will donate software with a retail value of $239,000 to all libraries receiving Foundation grants.

The grant from the Foundation was provided to help to increase technology access for people who would otherwise not have access to computers and the Internet.

In April 1999 the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board (PILRB) was invited to apply for a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which launched the Canadian Library partnership program in October 1998.

"On behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, I want to thank Bill and Melinda Gates for their generosity," said Ms. Foote. "The Foundation grant will provide more access to technology and the Internet, particularly to those who need it the most."

The grant will provide funding for 91 Internet workstations. The Board will receive three training labs to be deployed provincially for the training of library staff and patrons. In addition, technical training from the Foundation will provide library leaders from Newfoundland with the skills necessary to implement and support local libraries throughout the province.

According to a July 1999 Statistics Canada study, individuals in the highest-income households are nearly five times more likely to regularly access the Internet than those in the lowest-income households. The goal of the Gates Initiative is to partner with provincial, territorial and state public libraries to provide access to technology for everyone.

"Our public libraries play an important role in educating people of all ages," said Ms. Foote. "This gift, combined with our ongoing initiative of providing public and student access to the Internet, will give more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians the tools they need to gain knowledge and find jobs in the growing information economy."

In both the United States and Canada, grants from the Foundation are targeted toward libraries that serve low-income communities. Canadian libraries serving populations where 17.6 percent or more of the population live in poverty are eligible for Foundation grants. Figures were determined by the Poverty Profile1996 report issued by the National Council of Welfare.