The Illinois State Library (ISL) announced The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Hardware Grant Program “has now concluded in Illinois and has been an overwhelming success.” The ISL awarded $1,012,050 in Opportunity Online Grant funds provided by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In the spring of 2009 the ISL invited eligible Illinois public libraries to participate in The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Opportunity Online Hardware Grant Program. According to the ISL, “The program helps public libraries and their communities build long-term capacity for supporting free computer and Internet access in public libraries. The initiative focuses on libraries that are not able to adequately serve their patrons’ technology needs, and are also serving high-poverty communities with limited access to computers and the Internet. Eligibility is based on economic need and age of computers.”
A total of 109 Illinois libraries “representing 120 library buildings successfully completed all of the requirements for the program.” The program required grant recipients to raise matching funds equal to or exceeding the partial value of the computers donated.
The ISL stated, “The required match was a useful tool in building local partnerships and practicing advocacy. Libraries successfully raised $583,778 in matching funds.” Of that total, $189,577 came from public funds, $45,298 came from foundations or corporations, and $348,903 came from fundraising activities and general donations
The libraries that received grants took part in Turning the Page, an advocacy training program provided by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the Chicago-based American Library Association (ALA), to build confidence and skills for raising the matching funds. With the combination of grant dollars and matching funds, these libraries purchased and installed 690 new public access computers for the benefit of library users in communities across the state.
The ISL pointed out “These computers, with e-mail and Internet access, are vital tools to help people find jobs, further their education, conduct research and share ideas.” In January of 2012, the ISL will submit the final report on behalf of all the recipient libraries to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Congratulations to all of the participating libraries! Find a list of the libraries that took part at the WebJunction Illinois website.”
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