The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation featured the Carvers Bay Branch Library of the Georgetown County Library system in a short documentary project showcasing success stories on how computers and the Internet in public libraries can positively impact citizens’ lives.
The production also presented the challenges encountered in maintaining such resources for the public. The DVD and an accompanying brochure were premiered on January 20, 2007, at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Washington. The foundation plans to offer this video for free to public libraries nationwide as an advocacy, educational, and motivational tool to underscore the importance of providing citizens – especially those affected by the digital divide – with access to technology at public libraries. For more information, please visit the foundation’s site.
In addition to Carvers Bay, the movie includes some interviews from three other U.S. public libraries in Chicago, Memphis, and rural California. Local shooting occurred in Georgetown County during the week of November 13th, 2006. It involved a two-day production process of interviews and shots mainly in the Carvers Bay area of the county. Eyeplay, Inc., a Seattle-based video production firm, interacted with a roster of local folk including library staff and patrons impacted by technology. The film crew also interviewed community and political leaders who think technology in libraries is important and whose voices will likely resonate with peers nationwide.
The South Carolina portion of the documentary focuses mainly on usage of interactive gaming technology with high school teens at the Carvers Bay Branch Library. In August 2006, that facility was featured as the national library of the month by WebJunction, an Internet site that highlights innovations in libraries http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=13796. The interactive gaming project was made possible by funding from the Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation.
