The Ashburton Public Library has been given 26 refurbished laptops to help clear a backlog of people seeking a secondhand device.

The library joined forces with the national Recycle a Device programme earlier this year to help teach young people how to repair and recycle donated laptops. It then opened applications from eligible people, including students, to give the devices away for free.

Library Manager Jill Watson said the partnership with Recycle a Device had been gaining momentum and the waitlist for devices had grown quickly.

“These 26 laptops given to us by Recycle a Device will help us clear the backlog and mean that we will have rehomed 45 devices to members of our local community who need them.

“This really helps to enable digital equity in our community and we’re so pleased to facilitate this programme.”

The library’s Digital Access Co-ordinator Sarah Jones has been trained by Recycle a Device to run sessions at Ashburton College, teaching students some fundamental technology skills about what is inside a laptop and how it works.

“The students at Ashburton College have been doing a fantastic job and more laptops will be ready soon,” Miss Watson said.

“We look forward to distributing more devices to people in need through this partnership.”

If you are under 25 years of age and need a device to complete your studies, or are over 25 and have a community services card and need a device for work or study, please contact the library to be added to the waitlist.

Those on the current waitlist will be contacted by the library to arrange a pick up time for their device.

Do you have a laptop, less than 10 years old, to donate to the library's Recycle a Device programme? Please drop it into the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park's electronics table in the recycling area.