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Andreessens pair with H-P to send computers to Ferguson, Baltimore libraries

The couple says they were moved by the "individual acts of heroism" of library staffers who kept the doors open to the public even as protests raged over police brutality and the deaths of young black men.

"Libraries became in essence the heart of Ferguson and Baltimore amidst a time of immense darkness for so many," Arrillaga-Andreessen told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview. "So we felt this calling to help the libraries in a way that we felt we could uniquely do."

The donation is part of a growing effort in some quarters of Silicon Valley to address the digital divide that persists throughout the rest of the country, especially in poor or underserved neighborhoods.

Kudos to the library staff at the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore

Baltimore Libraries Stay Open Through Riots, Because ‘The Community Needs Us’: All library locations, including those at the epicenter of the riots, are welcoming patrons today.

You can find more than books at the Baltimore public library today, as all branches remain open and fully staffed in the wake of protests and riots that have rocked the city.

With a state of emergency declared and schools closed citywide Tuesday morning, the Enoch Pratt Free Library has chosen to stay open, providing a hub of comfort and community to all Baltimore neighborhoods, including the ones most affected by the mayhem.

“It’s at times like this that the community needs us,” library Director of Communications Roswell Encina told MTV News. “That’s what the library has always been there for, from crises like this to a recession to the aftermath of severe weather. The library has been there. It happened in Ferguson; it’s happening here.”