September 11, 2021

The Sanbornton Public Library’s technology infrastructure is about to get rebooted. Thanks to a private donation, the launch of a new computer lab will be the keynote event of an Open House to be held on Saturday, May 7.

For the past several years Robert and Patricia Risley of Sanbornton have been seeking a way to honor the memory of their son, Aaron, who died in a motor vehicle accident in 2005. “Aaron had many passions, but his gift for computers was obvious from even a very young age,” said his father.

When he was 16, Aaron was hired to design a web site for the Huot Technical Center in Laconia. The next year, the city's adult education program asked him to teach a course in web design. And by the time he was a freshman at UNH’s Whittemore School of Business in 2004, he already owned his own computer company and was professionally engaged as the systems administrator and webmaster for the Heart of New Hampshire Magazine.

So the Risleys were thrilled when they learned that patrons at Sanbornton’s library had for many years been asking about computer classes. “Aaron would have been the perfect instructor!,” said his mother.

The new computer lab will be located in the library’s historic Woodman Room and will have six new state-of-the-art laptops. Cab Vinton, director of the library, said the donation “is crucial for helping us make sure that no one is left behind as information technology races on.”

According to Vinton, public libraries play a vital role in bridging the digital divide for those who do not have access to computers and the internet. Older individuals and people with lower income and education levels are the least likely to have such access, access to a high-speed internet connection in particular. “But now, if you can get to the library, you can hop right on the information superhighway.”

Vinton says the new computer lab will host a wide range of classes, taught by library staff and other local experts, on topics including computer basics, email, internet search skills, basic office software (Microsoft Word and Excel), online job hunting, and Facebook and other social media.

“Computers and the internet are now essential tools for learning, work, and play. Thanks to the Risleys, our library is able to continue its long tradition of providing equal access to information for everyone, regardless of where they live or how much money they make.”

The additional computers will also be available to handle excess demand when the library’s other computers are all in use.

A grand opening for the computer lab is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Saturday. The library will also be hosting an Open House with refreshments throughout the day, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will showcase not just the new computer lab, but also the makeovers that the library’s other public spaces have received in recent months. Scavenger hunts for adults and children will be available at the checkout desk, with a chance to win prizes available to those who complete the challenges.