Deadline Looms for Broadband Grant Applications

The ALA Washington Office released its final push today to remind librarians that August 14 is the deadline for the first-round of Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grants. It will hold the third in a series of webinars Wednesday, which will focus on the fundamentals of the application process. Libraries serve as broadband access anchor institutions across the country and are the sole source of no-fee Internet access in 71% of communities, says Washington Office Director Emily Sheketoff. "In today’s economy, public demand for high-speed internet at libraries is overwhelming, as people turn to their local libraries for assistance with online job searching, online and distance learning, e-government services, and much more," she observes. This factor was a major consideration as ALA worked with Carnegie Corporation of New York to launch the new @ your library website for the public, where interest in information about how to get a job has soared since the site went up during National Library Week in April.  ALA’s Washington Office has created and compiled many economic stimulus resources for libraries including webinars, instructional guidance, key links and a list of frequently asked questions page. The BTOP’s Public Computing Center Program has many opportunities for libraries to innovate and expand services. The Washington Office will also release an instructional document titled, “A Note on Resources about Jobs and the Economy: Assistance for the Library Community in Their Applications to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program,” later this week.