The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have this week pledged a $1.2 million grant to the OCLC to promote the value of libraries in a national campaign throughout the U.S, which could be seen as another snub to the US government, writes Daniel Griffin.
Gates has been showing increasing interest in the library sector of late. Last year he agreed a major digitisation deal with the British Library and now his charitable arm is looking to improve public access to libraries, IWR would like to know, just what is driving the sudden passion for libraries in the world of Bill Gates.
The funds will be used by OCLC, a library automation and database specialist that is strong in academic circles, in conducting research and development strategies to enhance user perceptions of library value and the necessity of supporting new initiatives to meet user expectations and ever changing demands.
Studies in the U.S. indicate that over the next five years libraries will struggle to provide improvements to facilities, deliver electronic collections and internet services. But the U.S. public share a nostalgic perception of library services viewing them as predominately book-based, even though 99 % of libraries provide free internet access and other online services.
Jill Nishi, Manager of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said “Libraries provide opportunities for education and advancement, especially for those in rural or otherwise underserved areas in this country”.
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