Journal file photo The Hanska Community Library, 109 Broadway, received a $7,500 Taylor Rural Improvements Grant. Along with $2,500 in matching funds, the money will be used to purchase laptops, desktops and hotspots (wireless access points) that can be checked out by patrons.

HANSKA — Thanks to a $7,500 Taylor Rural Improvements Grant, Hanska Community Library patrons will soon have more Internet access.

The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) recently approved $300,000 to support 14 capital projects in towns under 10,000 through the grant program.

“We’re excited about it. It’s a wonderful opportunity. This will allow people Internet access whenever it is convenient to them. I thought this grant would be a good fit for Hanska and it was,” said Hanska Community Library director Angela Pick who applied for the grant.

She said the grant will be used along with a $2,500 local match raised from fundraising to purchase four laptop, desktop and hotspots (wireless access points) with four years of data plan wifi service for the hotspots, plus cases, bags, monitors and keyboards.

“Quite a few of our patrons use their cell phones for Internet access, but quite often it doesn’t work around Hanska,” said Pick. “With the new equipment, patrons can check out laptops and hotspots to use from home.”

Pick said she does not know when the new computer hardware will arrive.

The library, 109 Broadway, is usually open 20 hours a week, from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The grant round considered projects involving food, clothing, shelter, transportation and Internet accessibility. Taylor Rural Improvement Grants are supported by a generous donation from Glen A. Taylor through the Taylor Family Farms Foundation.

An additional $100,000 was dispersed for food and direct assistance through a Good Neighbor Grant from The McKnight Foundation.

For more information, visit smifoundation.org/taylorruralimprovements.