PHOENIX, April 15 -- Phoenix Public Library today announced it has received a $112,500 donation of software and cash from Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT) as part of the company's national program called "Libraries Online!" The donation will be used to outfit Ocotillo Branch Library, 102 W.
Southern, as it launches its "!Electro Sabio!" program to provide library patrons with access to computers, the Internet and educational software. The goal is to incorporate technology into the library to create an exciting learning environment.
"Phoenix Public Library has been given a unique opportunity," said City Librarian Toni Garvey, "the grant from Microsoft provided cash, software,technical training and support to the library. Libraries Online! enabled us to create !Electro Sabio! a cluster of computers that provides an array of Microsoft products in Spanish and English and access to the library's computerized catalog and the Internet."
"Microsoft is really pleased that we could partner with Phoenix Public Library to bring Libraries Online! to the Ocotillo branch," said Mike Kinney,General Manager, Microsoft Southwest District. "Over the last year, we have worked with libraries throughout the U.S., particularly ones serving people with limited access to computers. It is always a pleasure to see people throughout the community benefit from access to technology and information that simply was unavailable to them before."
In addition, ExecuTrain of Phoenix has agreed to provide the Libraries Online! project with free training on various Microsoft software programs and provide both the Ocotillo branch and Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave., with ExecuTrain multimedia programs for internal and public use. "ExecuTrain is dedicated to the education and the knowledge of our community. Teaming up with Phoenix Public Library and Microsoft to improve the knowledge of our community is very important in this technological world that we all live in," said ExecuTrain Regional Vice President Jay Carter.
"ExecuTrain's investment into the Libraries Online! project is seen as an investment in the futures of both our children and our community," said ExecuTrain of Phoenix' General Manager James Young.
!Electro Sabio! was developed with the grant from Microsoft as part of a program to bring public access to the Internet and multimedia personal computers. Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates announced the national launch of Libraries Online!, a $15 million philanthropic initiative to help
library systems in economically disadvantaged communities nationwide, at a New York City press conference held last October. Based on the success of a pilot program done in conjunction with the American Library Association (ALA) and the Technology Resource Institute (TRI), Microsoft contributed financial and technical assistance and software to a total of 41 library systems in the U.S. and Canada, including Phoenix Public Library.
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