Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 27/00) - Staff and patrons at the Inuvik Centennial Library are still getting used to some fancy new equipment donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Nora Dixon, director of library services, said the library received two computers and a laser printer worth almost $8,000 from the foundation set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

"They are wonderful," said Dixon.

"Each has two sets of handsets. It's quite interesting to watch a mom and a tot sitting and reading a Barney book together on the computer. Their heads hop in time with the music and their mouths are going. It's really a good interaction."

Dixon said that the computers arrived preloaded with software that covers a wide spectrum of ages, with profiles that present different options.

"For instance, the child profile doesn't have Internet access. There's one that's called Big Print, and it has software loaded into it that could be adapted for people with visual problems," she explained.

"You can highlight parts and it will read it to you," she said.

She said all NWT libraries have received the same package, except in Yellowknife, which received more due to its larger population.

"We were able to purchase an additional three (computers) from our capital budget, so we have five in total," Dixon said.