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BIBLIOREDES, FREE INTERNET AND TRAINING THROUGHOUT CHILE AT YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY

In 2001, as part of the process of modernization of public libraries in Chile, and with the firm intention to reduce inequities in access to the Internet and the digital divide, the Directorate of
Libraries, Archives and Museums, DIBAM, began the BiblioRedes Program.

The Project was initially financed throughcontributions from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Government of Chile and the 294 municipalities with Public Libraries where the BiblioRedes services would operate.

Thus, a model was implemented to contribute, through public libraries, to the development of social and cultural capital by reducing the digital divide, especially in people with poor access to new technologies due tosocio-economic factors or geographic location, helping libraries strengthen their role as meeting spaces with information, knowledge, recreation and culture for the community.

In November 2002, the entire country was linked by a network of 368 public libraries connected to the Internet. From Visviri, in the north, to Puerto Williams, in the south, to Easter Island and the Juan FernandezArchipelago, thousands of Chileans were able to access new technologies.

In 2004, a second grant from the Bill & Melinda Foundation, for $ 1 million, contributed to adding 10 more libraries to the network of libraries, along with the Public Library of Santiago, and complete a network of 17 mobile training laboratories.

The Program recently received a third grant from the Gates Foundation, for atotal of 2 million dollars. The funds received will be aimed at contributing to the e-inclusion of Local Communities in Chile, seeking to contribute to increased social participation through Web 2.0 applications.

Throughout its more than six years of work, the BiblioRedes Program has provided over 10 million public access sessions to computers with Internet; we have over 850,000 registeredusers, and we have trained more than 350,000 people who have created more than six thousand web sites of local content. Currently, our network covers more than 387 public libraries, 18 laboratories and 18 Regional Training Mobile laboratories, with more than 2,200 desktop computers and 198 laptop computers, both high-tech equipment, making BiblioRedes the largest public access network to the Internetand computer training in Chile. As of 2009, the Program will face new challenges, becoming an important player in Web 2.0.

The great BiblioRedes team spread throughout Chile has received continuous training in order to deliver more and better knowledge to and develop skills among our users. It is thanks to them that our Program has been able to change the lives of thousands of Chileans whojoin together in a network moving forward to Chile’s Bicentennial.

03 NETWORK OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND TRAING LABS

The BiblioRedes Program has a network of 387 public libraries and 18 training laboratory throughout Chile. They deliver free Internet access and ICT training to thousands of Chileans through highly trained personnel. The library network has more than 2,200 computers connected tobroadband Internet. Each computer also has a digital camera, headphones, DVD player, among other features.

In addition, starting in 2008, BiblioRedes developed a new service for its users: Wi-Fi wireless connectivity for 60 libraries, including all the regional libraries and some training labs in the country. This means that all regions of our country have at least one public wireless Internetaccess point through the BiblioRedes service.

Also during 2009, BiblioRedes will increase the bandwidth of some libraries, to deliver a better service to allow an even faster navigation to increase local content of better quality.

Visit our Public Libraries
and Training Laboratories
throughout Chile or visit us at
www.biblioredes.cl

02 ICT PUBLIC ACCESS SERVICE

One of the main...