$ cat ./records/gatess-library-program-brings-computers-and-the-internet-to-nearl-2008.txt
Gates's Library Program Brings Computers and the Internet to Nearly Every U.S. Public Library
[RECORD.TXT] · cat --full
One of the Gates Foundation's earliest and most far-reaching efforts brought computers and free internet access to America's public libraries. Begun in 1997 as Bill and Melinda Gates's first major philanthropic venture, the U.S. Library Program installed tens of thousands of computers in libraries across all 50 states — so that by its completion around 2008, nearly every public library in the country offered free internet, used by millions of people for education, jobs, and government services. It helped close the early 'digital divide' for low-income communities.
Source: https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/the-gates-library-foundation-how-digital-inclusion-came-to-libraries
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Related Accomplishments
June 2026
Melinda French Gates commits an additional $215 million to women's health through Pivotal
Melinda French Gates announced in June 2026 that she would donate an additional $215 million through her organization Pivotal to focus on women's reproductive and midlife health, bringing her total support for women's health to about $600 million over two years. The commitment underscored French Gates's independent philanthropic path since stepping down from the Gates Foundation in 2024 and her focus on areas she has said are chronically underfunded. It came amid broader cuts to U.S. reproductive- and global-health funding.
January 2026
Bill Gates publishes the 2026 Gates Foundation Annual Letter, 'Reaching 2045'
Bill Gates published the 2026 Gates Foundation Annual Letter, titled 'Reaching 2045,' framing the next two decades as the Foundation spends down its endowment before closing in 2045. Gates wrote that his optimism now 'comes with footnotes,' questioning whether global generosity will keep pace with rising wealth and whether innovation will be scaled to reduce inequality. He pledged to spend much of 2026 advocating for child-health funding and set a goal of again halving child mortality in the global South by 2045, while voicing both excitement about AI for health and concern about managing its disruption.
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