The limited budget has allowed for only two full-time employees, referred to the Library Connection program by a local business. Typically, those who assist patrons, teach the courses and are available for computer questions are typically a varied group of volunteers. Other formal opportunities for volunteering have been arranged through local high schools, senior citizens groups and corporate and community volunteer service programs. Libraries, in general, and this program, in particular, have the opportunity to impart workforce skills to their patrons even as they operate in their traditional information roles. As noted above, the skills embodied by library staff make a community library a natural place to go to seek the training necessary for learning computer and Internet technologies.
Libraries can also play a crucial role in bridging the societal problem of the digital divide.
Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, librarians are getting the hardware, software and training they need to continue aiding their communities in crossing the technology gap. Because the high-tech nature of the Manassas mall project may exaggerate its role in digital divide efforts, it is important to see the project not as a novel experiment on the part of libraries. Instead, the Manassas project is better thought of as a model extension of the roles that libraries always have played and will continue to play in communities. Communications-related Headline Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation.