I love the Daily Yonder for painting a picture of rural America. This week they ran a story on the role of the public library in a small town. The story is really about the energetic librarian who filled her shelves with new books (replacing 15 years of romance novels) with a Facebook post saying they needed more books. Great use of social media – the story went viral and she found herself on Public Radio. BUT it was the following that caught my eye…

Public libraries are important anywhere, but in places like ours, they are critical to community life. Along with books, we also have a selection of films and music, however limited (Myrtle is about 25 miles from the nearest RedBox and two hours away from the nearest Barnes and Noble). We have public-access computers with broadband available in our library. We’re the only publicly accessible broadband within about 25 miles. Many places in our county either do not have broadband access at all or the options available cost too much for our population – a story all too common in rural America. We live near a beautiful wild river, the Eleven Point, but otherwise there are few businesses or public spaces for recreation and gathering. The library, along with the post office and the gas station, are where people come together to talk about everything from the weather to local elections, news and where to get hay. We’re lucky to share a building with the post office, so we’re a community hub and are able to offer activities for our young people.

I’m sure there are Minnesota libraries in the same position – only public access to broadband/computers for miles. It’s a good reminder of the need for public access to computers and broadband – and more importantly to the librarian, who is often the bridge to digital divide.