Thanks to both the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grant, six Milwaukee Public Library locations have laptops available for on-site check-out. Included in the grant are improvements for broadband service at all 13 MPL locations.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to expand access to technology and the Internet in communities where home access is limited," said library director Paula Kiely.
"With these laptops, the number of computers available has more than doubled at each participating library, giving customers greater ability to search for jobs, develop their computer skills, search for information and connect to the vast resources found online."
Six MPL branches will each have 40 laptops available for library patron use:
- Atkinson Library, 1960 W. Atkinson Ave.
- Center Street Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
- Forest Home Library, 1432 W. Forest Home Ave.
- Martin Luther King Library, 310 W. Locust St.
- Villard Avenue Library, 3310 W. Villard Ave.
- Washington Park Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
In addition, a technology specialist was hired at each of the six locations to provide training opportunities on laptop and desktop computers at the libraries.
Four of the six locations offer bilingual(Spanish) assistance: Forest Home, Martin Luther King, Villard Avenue and Washington Park.
Library patrons looking to use the laptops will need a valid library card and to register with the library staff. If patrons do not have a library card, library staff can assist in the application process. Library cards are free to obtain.
