A good idea migrates north, and spawns another one.

Stopped in at the main KCMO Library downtown this afternoon and was gratified to see that the laptop lending program which started at the Plaza branch has made its way there. I saw at least a half-dozen users-mostly people who apparently would have had to wait in line for a desktop workstation otherwise. And that got me thinking.

Why doesn't KCPL expand this service to all of its locations? Not only that, but publicize it so patrons who'd benefit most from it will know it's an option. And here's another suggestion while I'm at it. To help with costs, why not get the manufacturers involved? Many of the young people who'd likely make up most of the users will eventually be in the market for a laptop themselves-and the more successfully we help close the digital divide for them, the more likely it'll be sooner rather than later that they'll be making that purchase. What better way for a maker to get its brand name in front of such hot prospects' eyes than a free "test drive" at their neighborhood library branch?

Why, if you approached him just right, I'd bet even Steve Jobs would sign on to help, which-in my unbiased opinion, of course-would be the icing on the cake.

And to that big-city library system on the west end of the viaduct, along with the smaller one north of the river that also hasn't unwired, here's another good reason to leave the last millennium behind. How many more are you going to need?