Gates Foundation awards $6.9 million in grants for public libraries

"A pilot initiative announced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help public libraries in seven states secure faster Internet connections so more people can access a full range of online applications and opportunities. The foundation has awarded $6,959,771 in combined grant funding to Connected Nation, a non-profit broadband Internet advocacy group, and the American Library Association's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) to support improved Internet connections for public libraries in Arkansas, California, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Virginia"