JKPL working on a new digital village

The Joeten Kiyu Public Library plans to build a state-of-the-art digital village at the back of the library.

JKPL executive director John Gonzales said they have submitted an application for a Community Development Block Grant worth about $900,000 to the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. for this purpose.

Gonzales said the digital village will be placed on about 8,000 square meters of property at the back of the library. It will be 85-seater with an amphitheater in the center. The digital village will also include multimedia production rooms.

“Both sides of the digital village will include multimedia production rooms that could be used for seminars, and the community can come in and produce their video, radio, audio, and their music in the productions room,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales noted that the amphitheater will have high-ceilinged roofs and the rooms will be noise-proof.

“We’re doing this so we can teach and truly introduce 21st century technology skills and hopefully the legislators and the governor helps us in completing this project,” Gonzales said.

According to Gonzales, this is the second year the library has submitted an application for the block grant.

“We are very much excited to be working with the housing board in developing the digital village with this federal grant,” Gonzales said.

He would also be submitting a $500,000 grant application to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development to buy equipment and furnish the multimedia village.

Gonzales said he would be meeting with Joe Diego from Guam on the grant and furnishings of the multimedia foundation.

JKPL council board chair Mark Rabauliman is excited that Gonzales has already submitted the block grant.

“I really want to see our library grow into the technological era and every little bit helps to achieve those goals,” Rabauliman said.

In other news, Gonzales noted that about $12,000 left from the state library’s roof repairs will be used to give the men’s and women’s restrooms at JKPL a facelift. It will also be used to replace the carpets of the library.

“We are going to paint the stairways and ramps for disability access and are working with Northern Marianas Housing Corp. on this,” Gonzales said.

“I just need to do the scope of the work and we’ll also be putting signs at the parking lot,” he added.

Gonzales also said that they would install chains in front because of the use of the library’s parking lot during off hours.

“This is for safety hazards, because it will prevent them from parking in unattended areas and from walking on the grassy parts of the library,” he said.