State’s $14.5 million initiative will expand access to telehealth, workforce services and digital skills training through public libraries
KINGFISHER — Oklahoma’s effort to expand access to healthcare, workforce services and digital literacy through its public libraries will reach a milestone next week when the state’s first Community Access Portal is unveiled at the Kingfisher Memorial Library.
The Oklahoma Broadband Office will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. July 30 to mark the public launch of the state’s $14.5 million Community Access Portal Program, an initiative designed to make essential online services more accessible for residents who may lack reliable internet service, appropriate technology or private spaces for virtual appointments.
The Kingfisher installation is the first public deployment of a program that will make up to 175 Community Access Portals available to libraries across Oklahoma.
The enclosed, technology-equipped Portals are designed to provide secure, private spaces where residents can participate in virtual primary care appointments, telehealth consultations, remote job interviews, workforce development programs and digital skills training.
State officials say the initiative will transform libraries into community access points, allowing Oklahomans to connect with essential services closer to home while expanding the role libraries play in serving their communities.
The Oklahoma Broadband Office announced the Community Access Portal Program earlier this year as part of its broader effort to improve digital access across the state. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.
Libraries interested in participating may request a Community Access Portal through the Oklahoma Broadband Office. State officials say up to 175 units will be made available to qualifying libraries statewide.
Mike Sanders, executive director of the Oklahoma Broadband Office, Natalie Currie, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, and Kingfisher Memorial Library Director Michael Tautkus are expected to participate in the July 30 event, along with state legislators, local officials and community leaders.
The event will include demonstrations of the Community Access Portal, remarks from project partners, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and opportunities for media interviews.
