Additional Information
Tools for Participants
Letters of Support
As part of the grant process each of the 140 participating libraries were
asked to write a letter of support for their library. In these letters libraries
agreed to sustain the public computer center and make access available for free
to the public. They were also asked to talk about the use of computers and
internet access in their library. Here
are just a few snippets from those letters.
"For many patrons a daily stop at the computer lab is as important as the
grocery store or post office. Free public access to computers has become vital
and is expected." - Dixie Kucera, Former Director of the Raymond A. Whitwer
Tilden Public Library, Tilden
"The reasons people use the library's public computers are as varied as the
people who come in: checking school records, applying for financial aid, filing
income tax, getting a hunting license, job searching, checking email, checking
bank balances, taking on-line classes, and more. The library's computers help
our community stay in touch with the rest of the world." - Jorene Herr, Bruun
Memorial Library, Humboldt
"Without our free public access computers many people in our community would not have the opportunity to enrich their lives with such a wide range of information. Learning and knowledge are the backbone of our nation's libraries, and computers are a huge part of that.
This benefits not just our small community but the nation." - Melanie West,
Assistant Librarian, Oshkosh Public Library, Oshkosh
The participating libraries were also asked to collect letters of support
from their local community leaders, organizations and customers. The outpouring
of local support was overwhelming with over 400 letters received. We would like
to thank all of those folks for supporting their local libraries and submitting
letters.