By Noelle Thompson
Published August 26, 2021 in The Burg
Between July 19 and August 13, you helped us raise $12,105 for a technology lab in the new building! Thank you! A technology lab will help us bridge the digital divide, provide equitable services, equip people for the workforce or higher education, introduce new technologies to our community, and serve groups in need of a meeting space with computer access.
According to a 2019 census.gov report, 21.4% of households in Galesburg do not have a computer and nearly a third of Galesburg households do not have broadband internet service. Approximately seventy people log in to the library computers each day—that’s 20,500 people each year! The current library has twenty-four computers available for all ages to use, and library staff and volunteer tech tutors offer training and assistance to those who request it. Despite the availability of public computers, our current building is inadequate when it comes to meeting the tech needs of our users. We lack a designated room to work collaboratively or lead classes using computers, and we don’t have a secure space to make cutting edge tech products available for public use.
The new building will provide spaces for individuals and groups of all ages to work, study, research, gather, and play. Whether an ESL class needs a computer lab to work on language learning lessons, our teen advisory board is experimenting with virtual reality or robotics, adult students are taking practice high school equivalency tests, or entrepreneurs are learning how to code, a tech lab will offer learning opportunities for everyone. Like our computers now, technology in the new building will be available to everyone at no cost, including those who live outside of Galesburg.
Thank you to everyone who has given to this cause or who has helped spread the word. More
opportunities to give will be posted in the coming months, so please keep an eye on our website, social media accounts, and newsletter.
Thank you for supporting your library and helping our community grow stronger.
To learn more about the new building and its features, visit the gplf.org.
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