The Albert Lea Public Library got a gift last week in the form of computers and training for staff on how to use it.

Monday, January 14, 2002

The Albert Lea Public Library got a gift last week in the form of computers and training for staff on how to use it.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the library four Gateway personal computers and a content server, as well as two days of Microsoft training from Seattle-based trainers. The grant is valued at $16,000.

It’s part of a nationwide initiative, where the foundation awards computers and training sessions to libraries all over the United States, said Albert Lea Public Library Director Lori Barkema.

Libraries were awarded computers based on the economic needs of the communities in which they are based.

&uot;We were very lucky,&uot; Barkema said of the computers, which primarily will be located in the Children’s Room of the library.

But she sees the training as almost as valuable as the computers.

&uot;We are pretty technical-savvy and learn by doing,&uot; Barkema said of the training. &uot;But it’s good to get information from the source.&uot;

The staff will also get another day of training sometime in the future, after they’ve worked on it for a while and questions have come up, the library director said.

&uot;The key to the grant for us is having access to how we can best utilize the equipment,&uot; Barkema said. &uot;We buy a piece here or there, but now we’ll have more information on how to network what they’ve given us with what we already have.&uot;

One of the computers the library received is a Spanish-language computer.

&uot;We got our choice of equipment,&uot; Barkema said. &uot;With our Hispanic population, it certainly made sense to try it. We can share it with the schools or community education – however we decide to use it.&uot;

The four members of the library staff most likely to use the computers received the training, and in turn will teach the rest of the staff, the library director said.