July 22, 2009

Kirkwood Public Library Awarded $9,750 Gates Grant

The Kirkwood Public Library will receive $9,750 over the course of 2010 and 2011 for the purchase of six computers through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Opportunity Online Hardware Grant.

This is the third year of the grant program, which awards libraries in selected states across the nation with matching grants for new and updated technology. “Kirkwood Public Library will contribute $5,850 towards the new computers as a partial match of the grant funds” Sarah Erwin, Acting Director said.

“The funds from this grant will help us replace public access computers, working to improve the library’s overall technology. We strive to have current technology in place and this grant will assist us in achieving the goals we set forth in our technology plan” said Jennifer Millikan, Director of Library Services and Technology.

The Missouri State Library, Library Development manages grants for libraries in Missouri, and will manage the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant as well.

The grant application process began in October 2008 with the eligible libraries, as determined by the foundation's prequalification criteria, by entering the library’s patron computer inventory into an on-line database named TechAtlas. Of the libraries that were initially selected for consideration, 75 libraries and library systems received awards for 120 libraries and branches. Funding will provide up to 590 computers for Missouri library patrons.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation made its grant announcement on July 16, 2009 and libraries should be receiving notices of their grant awards in the next two weeks.

This year, the Gates Foundation is awarding grants to public libraries in 11 states, including Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin.

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