The City of Blue Earth has received a $10,200 grant to expand secure, reliable public internet access at the city library as part of a broader rural investment by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF).
The funding comes from SMIF’s Taylor Rural Improvements Grant Program, which recently approved $300,000 for 14 capital projects in small towns under 10,000 residents across southern Minnesota. The grants support essential services for underserved populatioins, including access to food, shelter, transportation and internet connectivity.
In Blue Earth, the grant will be used to install secure charging device lockers for public use, update staff computers, relocate public computer stations and replace furniture to improve safety, accessibility and user privacy at the library. City officials say the upgrades are aimed at improving dependable internet access for residents who rely on the library for work, school and everyday needs.
The Taylor Rural Improvements Grant is funded through a donation from Glen A. Taylor via the Taylor Family Farms Foundation. Taylor has a long history of supporting rural community revitalization and the gift is designed to provide sustained funding for sililar projects in the region for years to come.
In addition to the Taylor grants, SMIF also distributed an additional $100,000 through a Good Neighbor Grant from the McKnight Foundation to support food and direct assistance efforts across southern Minnesota.
The Blue Earth Project is one of several library and technology focused investments approved in this grant cycle, reflecting continued demand for public internet access and digital resources in rural communities.
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