First Round of Broadband Stimulus Funds Announced, Three Awards to Libraries
RSSBy Norman Oder -- School Library Journal, 12/30/2009
The first of many broadband stimulus funds awards have been announced, and libraries are among the earliest grantees, though a relatively small percentage thereof.
Of the $7.2 billion in Recovery Act broadband grant and loan programs, $2 billion will be made available on a rolling basis over the next 75 days; the first allotments come in four categories. Only two of the categories—the ones with significantly less funding—involve libraries. Grants in the first two categories went mainly to phone companies and Internet network companies, though one includes libraries:
Middle Mile Awards – $121.6 million to build and improve connections to communities lacking sufficient broadband access.
Last Mile Awards – $51.4 million to connect end users like homes, hospitals and schools to their community’s broadband infrastructure (the middle mile).
Public Computing – $7.3 million to expand computer center capacity for public use in libraries, community colleges and other public venues.
Sustainable Adoption – $2.4 million to fund innovative projects that promote broadband demand with population groups where the technology has traditionally been underutilized.
Expect more such grants to be announced in the coming weeks, with more libraries to be named. Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association's (ALA) Washington Office, indicated that ALA won’t comment until a more complete picture emerges.
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