Buck Wargo
CITY HALL -- The king of computers just added Glendale to his kingdom.
Well, sort of.
Billionare software mogul Bill Gates has given a $97,241 grant to the
Glendale Library through his Gates Library Initiative.
The Microsoft founder's iniative makes public libraries with a poverty
population of more than 10% eligible for the grant. Computer work
stations, software, hardware, computer lab equipment, and training and
technical support are included in the grant.
That's good news for the Glendale library system. Glendale will get
six computer workstations each at the Central Library, Grandview and Casa
Verdugo branches. The Central Library will get a 10-workstation computer
lab in an area now used for microfilm readers.
The Gates iniative will also give the city $60,000 in training and
technical support. The equipment will be installed by the end of June.
The city libraries have 24 computers for accessing the Internet and
other resources. Five are at the Central Library, and there is often a
wait, said Cindy Cleary, the public services administrator for the
library.
"I counted 20 people the other day who dashed through the front door
for our five workstations," Cleary said. "This will fulfill a big need we
have."
The Central Library and Casa Verdugo and Grandview libraries qualify
for a full grant. Brand, Montrose and Chevy Chase libraries qualify for
discounted equipment.
The grant will also pay for two technical support workers to attend
training seminars to support the hardware and software technology and pay
for two public service reference employees to attend training in how to
teach the public to use the computers. The seminars will be held at a
Microsoft training center in Seattle in February.
There are no restrictions requiring the city purchase Microsoft
equipment. However, Glendale will use computers reconfigured for library
use by Microsoft, Cleary said.
The computer lab will teach people how to use the technology and
access the Internet.
