Thanks to a recent Community Initiatives Grant (CIP) from the Government of Alberta, children and teens visiting the Grande Prairie Public Library will now have access to new computers configured especially for gaming.

“Providing quality gaming experiences is one way that libraries support the development of digital literacy skills,” says Jacob Fehr, Head of Children’s & Teen Services. “Gaming helps players learn to navigate digital worlds, adjust to changing circumstances, and communicate effectively with others when body language and non-verbal cues are unavailable.”

The new equipment purchased with the grant will include seven gaming computers in the Library’s Teen area, six in Children’s and two that will be available to adults in the coming months.

“The Teen computers will feature over 100 games including Fortnite, Unreal Tournament and Among Us, while the Children’s computers will have age-appropriate games such as Roblox, PBS Games and Poptropica,” says Fehr. “Each will have a 27” curved monitor.” The Community Initiatives Grant (CIP) is offered by the Government of Alberta to help organizations engage with and help develop their communities. “We appreciate the support that the CIP grant offers,” says Fehr. “This opportunity allows us to make these computers available to library users and ensure that everyone in our community has an opportunity to develop these digital literacy skills without buying expensive home computers or game consoles.”