The North Dakota State Library launched the Military Family Contact program, which connects people with computers, so they can connect with military family members deployed overseas or elsewhere in the country.

38 libraries throughout North Dakota, including Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, have a laptop dedicated for use by military families to connect with loved ones via Skype.

The selected sites all have extended night and weekend hours when the video conferencing will be available, since daytime at home isn't always daytime overseas.

"We've got a lot of young men and women all over the globe and if their grandparents, loved ones, parents would like to talk to them and get that face-to-face communication, what a great opportunity," says Col. David Thiele, North Dakota National Guard.

While we might think that everyone has an Internet connection at home that isn't the case. This program will help bridge the digital divide. Military families without an Internet connection will have equal access to video conferencing with their family members serving our country.

Military families interested in using the laptop may check at the library's Information Desk.