Broadband is Coming—Is Your Library Ready?

Internet access is no longer optional for today’s libraries. Without it, many library services grind to a halt and our patrons are left without access to the resources they need for education, employment, entrepreneurship, individual empowerment, and community engagement—The E’s of Libraries. In December 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognized this 21st century reality as it completed a major reform of the E-Rate program—the most important national telecommunications program that helps libraries and schools connect to the internet.

Good news: more money for libraries

E-Rate provides libraries and schools discounts on telecommunications and information services—internet access and related services and, for a little while longer, phone service. The program is part of the FCC’s universal service program and is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company. In 2014 the FCC increased available funding to $3.9 billion. Libraries represent about 15% of program participation and receive about 7% of the available funds. The FCC hopes the recent program reforms will increase both the number of libraries that apply for E-Rate funding and the amount libraries request.

“Libraries have a historic opportunity to boost the infrastructure needed to launch and sustain technology-rich programs and resources in our increasingly dynamic, multi-user, and multipurpose spaces,” says Kathi Peiffer, ALA E-Rate Task Force (ERTF) chair and New Mexico state librarian. “From high-definition videoconferencing to telehealth to personalized cloud services, slow broadband connections must not be allowed to limit our ability to serve our communities.”

The money is there, but libraries have to apply to receive the funding. There’s a new resource to help you get started.

Library E-Rate Clearinghouse launches

ERTF guides ALA’s policy course at the FCC on E-Rate matters and also identifies opportunities to support E-Rate program applicants as they traverse the sometimes challenging application process. With the guaranteed money from the FCC on the table, the ERTF asked, “How do we ensure that all libraries have the information they need to take advantage of E-Rate for network infrastructure upgrades?” One of the answers we came up with was a clearinghouse—an aggregator of and home for resources to assist libraries in understanding broadband planning and E-Rate funding.

At ALA’s 2015 Midwinter Meeting, the ERTF began planning a repository for library-specific E-Rate support resources to stimulate a national community of practice positively impacting public libraries, tribal libraries, consortia, or other entities seeking information on libraries and E‐Rate. The ERTF went ahead with construction of the Library E-Rate Clearinghouse, claiming a domain name and logo, and constructing a wireframe. There is also an editorial governance board made up of ERTF members. In the fall of this year, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) received support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that in part will help launch the Clearinghouse.

“We intend that the Library E-Rate Clearinghouse will be a crowd-sourced site—by the people for the people—that will grow into a trusted and useful resource for libraries as they seek to increase broadband capacity to the library building and to their patrons using library Wi-Fi,” said Emily Almond, Clearinghouse project manager and IT director at GPLS. “The goal of the Clearinghouse site is to further strengthen the established national community of practice around these efforts and also provide an entry point to the discussion for those just starting to explore the opportunities,” said Julie Walker, Georgia state librarian. GPLS will host the Clearinghouse and support a content manager.

Be prepared to get your share

For the first time in more than a decade, the E-Rate program will have the financial certainty to enable libraries to pursue large-scale broadband improvements. The FCC believes this increase likely means all E-Rate applications can be funded through at least 2019. But funding won’t flow to your library unless you apply.

The Clearinghouse is one tool available to you to support you as you apply for E-Rate funding. It will be a curated resource of tools, information, and materials relating to E‐Rate and libraries, leading to stronger service provision to libraries, increased effectiveness in broadband planning and implementation, and, ultimately, improved access for the public libraries served.

The Clearinghouse is also a resource-sharing platform and as such it depends on the library community to build its viability. The governance board welcomes contributions from E-Rate coordinators, public librarians, state library agencies, technologists, and others. If you have something additional to share, the governance board would be most happy to make sure it has a home. It will take submissions and publish them on the site with special consideration for accuracy of the content and findability.

So, whether you are familiar with E-Rate basics and interested in using E-Rate to improve your library network or you are just getting started with E-Rate, this site is designed with you in mind.

Take a look, and send us your content, comments, and questions or email ealmond@georgialibraries.org.

Latest Library Links

1h

Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
5h

Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
1d

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
1d

Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
2d

“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
2d

Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
3d

Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.