With printed phone books, help wanted ads and classified listings trending toward obsolescence, access to the Internet is no longer a luxury — it’s becoming a necessity for daily living. Yet for as many as 40 percent of Philadelphians, online access remains out of reach.

To help bridge this digital divide, Temple University has partnered with the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia School District to create a community computer laboratory open to residents of North Philadelphia. The university recently installed 15 refurbished computers at the John F. Hartranft Elementary School, near Temple's Main Campus, to provide online access for both school students and adults from the nearby community.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, state Senator Shirley M. Kitchen and Temple representatives joined neighborhood residents at a Jan. 13 opening of the new lab, which was completed in December.

“This opportunity with the lab is not just about the computers and the learning that will take place,” said Nutter. “It’s another opportunity for true community partnership and engagement.”

Staffed by community volunteers, the lab will be open after school Monday through Thursday. Temple instructors will provide free classes in which adults can learn basic computing and word processing skills — increasingly vital for seeking jobs, networking and continuing education.

“There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, we must learn to use a computer,” said Sen. Kitchen. “Some people are just intimidated by it, but we hope that they can become computer friendly and see that they can handle it.”

The project was coordinated by Temple’s Office of Community Relations, with computers provided by the university’s Computer Recycling Center, which refurbishes and redistributes used equipment. Since 2003, the center has donated more than 1,200 computers to local organizations. The Dell PCs installed at Hartranft are four to five years old, but have been completely restored and updated with office applications and virus scanning software provided by the Philadelphia School District.

“Giving these computers is just one more indication of how committed Temple University is to community empowerment, community engagement and really being a partner with this particular community,” said Nutter.

This month, Tree House Books, a North Philadelphia after school center, will also open a new computer lab equipped with Temple-donated machines.

— Elizabeth DiPardo