Founded the Gates Library Foundation

Gates created the Gates Library Foundation — later the Gates Learning Foundation — to bridge the digital divide in American public libraries. The program donated over $250 million in computers, software, and internet connectivity to U.S. public libraries, with particular focus on libraries serving low-income communities. By 2003, the initiative had connected 99 percent of U.S. public libraries to the internet and trained over 7,000 library staff. This effort brought free internet access to millions of Americans who otherwise lacked it at home, making it one of the most impactful domestic technology equity programs in U.S. history. The foundation later merged into the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.