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Stillwater Public Library zooms from 3.5 to 100 mbps
(STILLWATER, OKLA. / Jan. 3, 2011) – Internet users at the Stillwater Public Library will see a dramatic increase in connection speed thanks to a national grant project called OkConnect. The project gives Oklahoma libraries $3.3 million from the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stillwater is scheduled to receive approximately $93,130.
“This grant is an economic and educational boon to our community,” said Deputy City Manager Mary Rupp. “The goal of the grant is to provide public libraries with advanced Internet service so that community members have the best access to employment opportunities, education, health information, and government forms and services.”
To achieve those goals, Stillwater Public Library will receive high speed broadband capabilities that will increase the library’s Internet connection speed from 3.5 megabytes per second to 100 mbps. Stillwater was only one of 13 Oklahoma communities to receive such a substantial upgrade.
Currently, Stillwater Public Library receives over 4,200 Internet logins per month. According to Libary Directory Lynda Reynolds, hundreds of people rely on the library as their only Internet access for developing resumes, searching job listings, taking online courses, marketing businesses, banking, filing for Medicare and keeping in touch with children and grandchildren.
“So many of us in Stillwater are fortunate to have a computer and Internet access in our homes,” said Reynolds, who has been working on the grant with the Oklahoma Department of Libraries since September of 2009. “It's easy to forget that for hundreds of Stillwater citizens, the library is their lifeline to the world.”
In addition to faster connection speeds, the library will install high speed video conferencing capabilities and will receive special learning and career software to help students with homework and to assist job seekers with résumé creation, interviewing skills and job testing. The library will also upgrade and expand its computer lab with 10 new desktop units.
Reynolds envisions a whole new array of educational and business oriented services that can be offered with the new equipment.
“Our computer tutoring is already a very popular service,” said Reynolds. “With the larger lab, we will be able to expand our computer courses to teach advanced content that will strengthen our community’s workforce skills. Groups of students will have better access to educational material and local small businesses will be able to use the videoconferencing services to provide training and to communicate globally.”
Reynolds expects the upgrades to begin this summer and for all grant components to be completed by 2012.
“This grant has come at a crucial time for Stillwater,” said Rupp. “As the community works together to strengthen Stillwater’s economy, these new tools will be an invaluable part of the process.”
For information about the library, visit the Stillwater Public Library web site at library.stillwater.org, email askalibrarian@stillwater.org or call 405-372-3633. Visit the library on Facebook and Twitter.
The Stillwater Public Library is located at 1107 S. Duck St.
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Contact: Sherry Fletcher, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Phone: 405.742.8362
E-mail: sfletcher@stillwater.org
Web: stillwater.org