Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710
FAX (215) 567-7850
Contact: Communications and Development
FREE LIBRARY AWARDED MORE THAN $400,000 IN FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS
PHILADELPHIA, July 19, 2010—The Free Library of Philadelphia has been awarded more than $400,000 in federal stimulus grant funds as part of a $6.4-million public computing center initiative designed to improve broadband access and enhance computer skills among disadvantaged communities in Philadelphia.
The Free Library will utilize its portion of the award to build a traveling laptop computer laboratory and a state-of-the-art techmobile education center, bringing wireless internet access and computer literacy classes into Philadelphia’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.
“In today’s digitally dependent world, the Free Library is committed to providing the resources necessary for all Philadelphians to develop and expand their technological literacy,” said Siobhan A. Reardon, President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia. “We are thrilled to have received federal stimulus funding to support our efforts in bringing computer access and skill-building workshops to as many individuals as possible.”
One of 66 initiatives nationwide that is benefiting from a $795-million investment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Philadelphia’s public computing center project is being implemented through a partnership between several city agencies and non-profit organizations, including the Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia FIGHT, Media Mobilizing Project, People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia OIC, and the city’s Division of Technology and Department of Parks and Recreation. The joint Philadelphia initiative will create 91 new jobs, supply more than 800 new computers, create or upgrade more than 75 public computing centers, and serve an estimated 14,000 new computer users per week.
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The Free Library of Philadelphia system consists of 49 branches, three regional libraries, the Parkway Central Library, and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. With more than 6 million visits annually, the Free Library is one of the most widely used educational and cultural institutions in Philadelphia.
07/19/2010
Department of External Affairs, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1189
(215) 567-7710, FAX (215) 567-7850