In late spring, Amy Keiter of the External Affairs team received an email from Rose Peda, a librarian in Sweet Home, Oregon, asking how many Comcast subscribers there were in her community. Amy had an inkling where the question was going and called Ms. Peda back. As Amy suspected, the librarian was trying to build the case for seeking a grant from a non-profit to acquire more computers for library patron use. That was a problem that was easy for us to solve: Comcast donated $1000 toward the purchase of public computers and children’s books.
“For the community of Sweet Home, having access to a free public computer provide many benefits: applying for jobs, unemployment benefits, connecting with friends and family through social media, finding out how to repair a car, research a health condition or file taxes,” explained Peda, the Sweet Home Library director. “While Sweet Home residents may be able to use their phones, mobile devices are not ideal when applying for jobs or unemployment. For many in our community, the computers at the library are their only Internet connection to an ever-increasing online world.”
The children’s books that were purchased were not for putting on the shelves to be checked out by the kids: they are being given away – for keeps.
“Summer reading is critical for children to retain what they learned in the previous school year but also to grow in knowledge and critical thinking for their next school year, said Peda. “Reading is like exercise. Just like physical activity keeps your muscles in shape, reading keeps your brain in shape. Statistics have shown that when a child chooses a book on their own to read, they are 80% more likely to read that book. Which means they have better odds of staying on the intellectual treadmill.”
Low-income families without internet service in Sweet Home can sign up for two free months of broadband through Comcast’s Internet Essentials program. Cost-subsidized computers are also available through the program.
