Bethel Public Library is getting a grant for high speed internet access.  The Connecticut State Library Board has approved $25,100 for Bethel Library to install a high-speed fiber connection to the Connecticut Education Network. 

The network delivers reliable, high-speed Internet access, data transport and value added services throughout Connecticut at equitable rates.  The connection at the Bethel Public Library is expected to be completed just after the New Year.  

State Representative Stephen Harding says libraries are no longer merely home to countless shelves of books, today they are hubs of varying informational resources.  According to the Library Board, public libraries give people free access to research and other networks online, which helps close the digital divide.