Libraries in 12 U.S. cities will receive grants of various types from the Knight Foundation. The foundation hopes to expand access to libraries in the communities and improve the available facilities.
The grants were prompted by a report issued last month by the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, which is a project of the Aspen Institute. The report found that meaningful democracy in the U.S. is being undermined by a lack of access to critical news and information sources. The report identified public libraries as a possible venue for improvement. The Knight Foundation aims to redress this informational inequality by establishing mobile computer labs, language training, and improved availability of digital content.
The director of the Nashville Public Library, Donna Nicely, who is also a member of the Knight Foundation, said that the foundation "[realizes] that public libraries have been in communities for generations, and that they are already providing digital access. They need additional resources to expand their services to a wider audience." The communities that will receive grant funding are mostly in the American south, although several cities and towns in Ohio and Michigan are also represented among the recipients. Five of the 12 communities will receive funds for mobile computer labs, while others will receive job centers or wireless internet access.
The grant was announced in Charlotte, North Carolina last month. The event included a testimonial from Sabra Harris, who used public library computers to find a job after recovering from a crippling illness. Harris said that "[the] internet is needed for everything – and I needed everything."