William Jeanes Memorial Library In Whitemarsh Receives Grant To Expand Digital Literacy

WHITEMARSH, PA — A local library has been awarded a state grant to help expand access to digital literacy and technology.

William Jeanes Memorial Library has been given a $34,543 Digital Literacy and Workforce Development Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry to help with various technological upgrades, according to the office of State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-148, who announced the grant late last week.

The funding will help with the purchase of 12 laptop computers, as well as help the library upgrade its audio-visual equipment to include videoconferencing microphones, cameras and projectors, and to implement a technology curriculum of classes designed to introduce foundational technologies from computer basics through online digital literacy, according to Daley's office.

"I'm thrilled to see this funding awarded to help William Jeanes Memorial Library expand access to technology and provide valuable education to workers who need to update their digital knowledge," Daley said in a statement. "I'm grateful the library will be able to provide these crucial services to ensure workers have the skills needed for today's workforce."

William Jeanes Memorial Library is located at 4051 Joshua Road in the Lafayette Hill section of Whitemarsh Township. It has been in existence since the 1920s, when Mary Jeanes Miller donated $75,000 to help finance a new community library in memory of her first husband, William Jeanes.

The library's original home was a single room in the William Ambler House in Plymouth Meeting, according to information about the library's history on its website.

The state grant given to the library was part of $900,000 awarded by the Department of Labor & Industry to a total of 21 recipients designed to help workers develop basic digital skills they need to apply for jobs and succeed in new careers in today's day and age, according to the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf.

"Technology used in the workplace will always evolve, so our workforce development strategies must also evolve to secure Pennsylvania's competitive edge in the global economy," Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier said in a statement. "These grants empower local organizations to build skillsets within their labor force that employers expect workers to possess. When worker skillsets match employer demands, Pennsylvania's communities and its overall economy grow stronger."