Help 'Close the Gap'

As community centers that showcase technology and offer it to patrons free of charge, public libraries are a natural starting place to close the digital divide.  Official numbers released by the AHA in its "Fact Sheet" (mentioned in a previous blog post) support the library's position at the forefront of this battle.  However, libraries of all types can tackle the digital divide by partnering not only with each other, but with other organizations fighting the same fight.

One such group is Close The Gap, an organization that essentially refurbishes computer equipment that companies, school, libraries,etc. have targeted for replacement and uses it for specific technology literacy projects around the world.  A more complete explanation of its Project Cycle can be found here.  Although libraries are often in need of updated technology, when they do have the opportunity to replace their older equipment, library managers should give Close The Gap, and other organizations like it, a closer look to see if a local project could be arranged.  Moreover, libraries would do well to make community partners and leaders aware of such organizations so that computer equipment throughout U.S. cities is not simply carted off to a recycling center without its future being thoroughly explored.

In rural Tanzania, a cargo container was re-purposed into a classroom. Photo courtesy of http://close-the-gap.org/blog/

Inside the classroom. Photo courtesy of http://close-the-gap.org/blog

Sources:

American Library Association, http://www.ala.org/tools/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet26

Close The Gap, http://close-the-gap.org/