Ameritech , the phone company for the northern Midwest, promised 225 million dollars as part of a rate settlement. But such deals cannot be expected to be renewed indefinitely. Partnerships can also reduce costs. But libraries are not perfect places for training. Staff are uncomfortable with the presence of homeless people, for instance, and have to establish time limits on computer use in order to accommodate all patrons.
Schools are important partners for computer community centers.
Both schools and libraries may benefit from the Universal Service Fund set up by the Telecommunications Act and the FCC , but this fund can be spent only on hardware, software, and connectivity. There's no funding for the crucial element of training, and here a community center can step in to help. Sometimes one hears worries that computers will draw people's attention from neighbors and community. Luckily, this doesn't seem to be the effect of the Internet-connected computers at community centers. They offer such benefits as helping kids keep in touch with buddies they met at summer camp.