Courtesy of Flickr user Paolo M’rgari

When we last wrote about Knight’s Library Initiative, it was a $3.3 million effort to empower libraries in 12 communities to become true information centers for their communities, with expanded wifi access, mobile computing labs, job-hunting assistance, digital literacy training and more. Today, Knight’s announcing an expansion of that effort – the Foundation will distribute $5.5 million to’ 20 communities around the country:

Strengthening residents’ ability to use the Internet to improve their lives, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will help libraries in 20 U.S. communities enhance digital access and training.

The effort is part of the foundation’s $5.5 million Library Initiative.’ Launched in October, Knight is expanding it to eight additional communities, the foundation announced today.

In October, the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy released its report, finding that libraries are critical to a community’s information infrastructure. Today’s grant announcement signals Knight’s commitment to helping usher these institutions into the digital era.