South Carolina’s public libraries will benefit once again from a generous grant provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Public Access Computer Hardware Upgrade Grant (PAC HUG) will replace hardware provided during the first Gates Library Foundation-U.S. Library Program Grant in 1999-2000. Funding for new public access computers will be available in 2006-2008.

Guidelines

Priority 1 funds must be spent by December 31, 2006. Libraries receiving Priority 1 funds must complete a second inventory in Spring 2007.

Priority 2 and 3 funds must be spent by December 31, 2008.

Definitions

• Priority 1: Public libraries that received computers under the first Gates grant and still use those computers for public access.
• Priority 2: Public libraries that received computers under the first Gates grant but have replaced or upgraded those computers.
• Priority 3: Public libraries that did not receive computers under the first Gates grant.