ReTool Box program receives $14K grant

People who want to take advantage of free computer help sessions at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library have received an early Christmas gift.

The Inland Northwest Community Foundation awarded $14,400 from its 2012 Community Strategies grant fund to the Coeur d'Alene Library Foundation in support of the "ReTool Box" program.

The ReTool Box consists of four 90-minute sessions designed to teach the basics of computer usage. The library's laptop lab allows up to 19 participants at a time in a "user-friendly" environment.

"These sessions are designed for those we might call 'digital fugitives,'" said Ruth Pratt, director of the Library Foundation. "Adults who for one reason or another haven't learned to use a computer but find that they now need those skills to apply for jobs, communicate with others via email, do research or shop online."

Pratt said since the Library Foundation began offering the free training in the fall of 2010, more than 600 people have participated in the ReTool Box.

Information: 769-2380