Gates grant provides computers

As part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's U.S. Library Program, several area libraries have received new, completely equipped computers.

A number of libraries in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas were on the receiving end of entire Gateway systems. McCook Public Library received two complete systems, which are up and running as part of the Eligible Library Building Grant.

Other public libraries in Southwest Nebraska which received funds from the grant include Arapahoe, Bartley, Beaver City, Culbertson, Hayes Center, Imperial, Oxford, Palisade, Trenton, Wauneta, Wilsonville, the Dundy County Library in Benkelman and the Butler Memorial Library in Cambridge also benefited.

Northwest Kansas libraries include the Atwood, Oberlin, St. Francis and Bird City public libraries.

The grant provides funds for the purchase of computers, printers, switches and wiring.

The donation also allows for technical support, training, publications and software.

The U.S. Library Program, begun in 1997, was developed to expand public access to computers, the Internet and digital information in libraries that serve low-income communities. Since the program began, the foundation has made grants to more than 5,800 libraries in the United States, installed more than 25,000 PCs and trained 7,000 librarians. The Foundation contacts libraries which are eligible to apply. Libraries qualify for the new computers by meeting certain criteria, including poverty rates.

Poverty and population data were taken from the 1990 U.S. Census and each library was assigned to one of three classifications: urban, urban fringe/large town or rural.

The classification, along with population density information, was used to determine the service area of each library building. The service area of a rural library, which covers all of those in Southwest Nebraska, had a radius of five miles.

To be eligible, libraries must have 10 percent or more of their service population in poverty.

The McCook Public Library received two Gateway E4600 series computers plus flat-panel monitors, including English and Spanish keyboards. The equipment also included a Zip Drive, speakers, laser printers and a DVD-ROM drive. The software ranges from office programs such as Windows 2000 to children's titles such as Scholastic's The Magic School Bus programs.

Because of the area's Spanish-speaking population, McCook automatically qualified for two computers, including the Spanish keyboard.

Recipients recently attended workshops in Cambridge, conducted by two teachers from Seattle, Wash., learning how they qualified for the donation and how to use the system. Patty Hall, head librarian at the McCook Library, called the donation a nice surprise and a good addition to the library's computer selection. "The new computers are a tremendous improvement over what we already have," she said. In addition to the two Gateways, the McCook Library also has three additional Internet-accessible computers.

Policies about computer-use at the McCook Library will remain as is for a while, although Hall said changes will be coming.