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£7.1 million fund for WiFi in libraries
Local authorities can apply through the Arts Council for part of this funding, with priority given to libraries that currently do not have free WiFi access. Libraries that have WiFi under the recommended provision will also have the opportunity to upgrade.
A new partnership between the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce and the Tinder Foundation has also launched a 100,000 Library Digital Inclusion fund, which will launch on 1 October 2015 and enables libraries to bid for resources to help people learn basic digital skills.
Brian Ashley, Director Libraries and Midlands, Arts Council England, said: "Libraries are excellent community hubs that bring people together and we hope that free WiFi will encourage more people to use and enjoy their local libraries. This is an exciting opportunity to increase the digital offering in all public libraries in England, develop partnerships between them and build a strong and sustainable library network across the country for the future."
Kathy Settle, Chief Executive: Leadership for Libraries Taskforce, said: "As I've travelled around libraries, I've seen how popular the provision of WiFi is and how it has helped libraries to offer more services to their users. Many libraries already provide digital access to e-books and other on-line resources, as well as digital skills training. This funding will ensure that all libraries in England have the same level of access and - alongside the Tinder Foundation's Digital Inclusion funding for libraries also announced today - will provide more support for those users who need it to get online."
Helen Milner, Chief Executive for Tinder Foundation, said: "I'm excited for us to continue working in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians and the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce to support digital inclusion activities in libraries. There are so many great library services within the UK online centres network that are having a huge impact on improving people's skills, and this action research pilot will ensure the best digital inclusion activity can be captured, shared and scaled. Libraries are perfectly positioned to provide digital inclusion support to their communities, and by running this project alongside the drive for better WiFi in libraries will mean we can have an even bigger impact."
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