Asia Foundation Launches Project to Support Public Libraries and Internet Access in Vietnam

HANOI, Vietnam--(Business Wire)--
The Asia Foundation, the premier non-profit organization devoted to Asia`s
development, announced today an 18-month project to strengthen public library
institutions and support public Internet access in Vietnam, supported by the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The award of U.S. $400,715 is the first Gates
Foundation grant received by The Asia Foundation. The project will help expand
the public`s access to information in rural areas and provide opportunities for
Vietnamese citizens to significantly improve their daily lives. The project will
complement, reinforce, and broaden a concurrent planning grant from the Gates
Foundation to Vietnam`s Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

The Asia Foundation will work closely with its long-term partner, the National
Library of Vietnam (NLV), and other public library institutions in Vietnam to
expand access to information, especially for disadvantaged groups and
communities. Project activities will seek to strengthen the capabilities of
public library institutions to create a more welcoming and accessible library
environment, and to promote public access to computers and the Internet through
mass media, public campaigns, and community events.

Under this initiative, approximately 90 public library staff at the provincial
and district levels, and 270 commune staff from 90 selected sites will be
trained to educate library patrons on effective use of the Internet,
significantly increasing their access to information. To further interest and
inform citizens about these new services, local "Internet festivals" and other
public outreach activities will be held in Vietnam. Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) is a rapidly growing service area in Vietnam,
with annual growth in ICT penetration nationwide estimated at 8 percent, and
Internet access becoming a top demand.

While The Asia Foundation will support public access to computers and the
Internet through the development of management and public outreach skills,
Vietnam`s MIC will focus on developing and testing models to deliver public
Internet access to pilot sites.

The purpose of the MIC pilot program is to learn which tools are most conducive
to helping rural Vietnamese improve their lives. In addition to testing models
of public access, MIC will take an integrated approach, including access,
content, training, and advocacy. The program will focus on 99 pilot sites,
primarily located in public libraries and Cultural Post Offices in three rural
provinces, and will plan for potential implementation on a national scale.

The Asia Foundation has partnered with the National Library of Vietnam since
1993 on numerous education programs, including the donation and distribution of
almost 400,000 English language books to provincial public libraries, research
organizations, and educational institutions throughout the country over the last
fifteen years.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation`s Global Libraries initiative is working to
open the world of knowledge, information, and opportunity to many more people.
Part of the Global Development Program, Global Libraries works with select
countries that demonstrate a need and a readiness to help public libraries
provide free access to computers and the Internet and training on how to make
full use of these tools. The initiative is working to transform public libraries
into vital resources that can help improve the lives of millions of people.

About The Asia Foundation

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to
the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region.
The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance, law, and
civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; and
international relations. Drawing on more than 50 years of experience in Asia,
the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support
leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.

With offices throughout Asia, an office in Washington, D.C., and its
headquarters in San Francisco, the Foundation addresses these issues on both a
country and regional level. In 2008, the Foundation provided more than $87
million in program support and distributed over one million books and
educational materials valued at $41 million throughout Asia. For more
information, please visit: http://www.asiafoundation.org.

The Asia Foundation
Dr. Kim N. B. Ninh, +84 (4) 3943-3263
Country Representative, Vietnam
kninh@asiafound.org
Dinh Kieu Nhung, +84 (4) 3943-3263 ext. 103
Office Manager/Books for Asia Officer, Vietnam
dknhung@asiafound.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009