Global Libraries
Environmental driving force of The Future of Technology in Secondary Education in 2020
Description:
Computers and the Internet connect people to crucial information that can improve health, education, and employment opportunities. Incredibly, the vast majority of the world’s population—more than 87 percent, or 5.5 billion people—lack access to these powerful, modern tools. To address this inequity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Global Libraries initiative forms partnerships with select developing countries to provide no-cost public access to information technology. They also present an annual Access to Learning Award for innovation to a library outside the United States. With their partners, Global Libraries is helping to transform public libraries into vital tools that can advance the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
They currently partner with five countries that are working to give citizens no-cost access to information technology and training in public libraries and reading rooms. Programs in Chile and Mexico are well-established. In November 2006, they provided pilot grants to Botswana, Latvia, and Lithuania.
They select country partners based on demonstrated need, the strength of their existing library system, and their commitment to providing no-cost access to information technology. Collaborative partnerships are critical to success, and they ask each country to commit significant funds to update their libraries’ infrastructure, pay for Internet connectivity, and sustain their program for years to come. With these new tools and hands-on training, many more people around the world will be able to communicate with each other, use government services, find employment, grow a business, and learn about health issues in ways that can improve their lives.
Enablers:
- Government support
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Increasing demand for information
Inhibitors:
- Corrupt governments and governments which are not willing to fund
- Continuous wars in the underdeveloped countries
Paradigms:
Having access to information, brings knowledge. Global Libraries is helping to transform public libraries into vital tools that can advance the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Because of this many more people around the world will be able to communicate with each other, use government services, find employment, grow a business, and learn about health issues in ways that can improve their lives.
Experts:
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation