Helsinki Library Wins $1-Million
Access to Learning Award
The Helsinki City Library in Finland won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s first annual Access to Learning Award for programs it has designed to increase patrons’ access to computers and the Internet. The award, which includes a $1-million grant, was announced July 10 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
The award cited the library’s special workstations for the visually impaired and for multilingual patrons; its Cable Book Library, which is located near the city’s center and provides free Internet access though 22 computer terminals; and the 180 workstations in the main library, 38 branch libraries, 18 institutional libraries, and two mobile libraries.
Helsinki is “a model for other countries seeking to make libraries and public access to digital information a priority,” said foundation Cochair and President Patty Stonesifer.
Library Director Maija Berndtson said, “This award means we can improve our current services and reach even more people” through new programs such as the Information Gas Station, which will allow patrons to ask questions that will be fielded by librarians citywide.
Posted July 17, 2000.
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