Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa wins award

Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa (APNK) wins international internet award

The Aotearoa People’s Network Kaharoa (APNK) has won the Australia and New Zealand Internet Best Practice Award 2010 in the ‘Best Access Initiative’ category which awards “initiatives that aim to combat the digital divide, facilitating access for groups such as the elderly, disabled or socially disadvantaged”.

The APNK is managed by the National Library of New Zealand and provides free access to broadband internet services in public libraries so that everyone can benefit from accessing, experiencing and creating digital content. Today, APNK is a thriving network extending from Kaeo in the north to Stewart Island in the south, across 42 local authorities and in 127 libraries and three marae.

“Winning the Internet Best Practice Award is a great honour and reflects the incredible success of the APNK which has given New Zealand communities, large and small, the opportunity to engage in the digital world and become more digitally literate,” said Sue Sutherland, Deputy Chief Executive, National Library, and Director, National Digital Library.

“The APNK has given both young and old access to the digital world, from grandparents in isolated communities connecting with their children overseas, to job seekers developing CVs and completing job applications online, and farmers checking the latest stock prices,” said Ms Sutherland.

The APNK is a collaboration between the National Library of New Zealand and public libraries, with initial funding received from the Government’s Community Partnership Fund. The funding covers equipment, networking, training and access to web-based tools and services.

ENDS

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