ALA: Broadband Stimulus Programs Should Take Libraries More into Account
Says computer center program needs more funds; libraries should get more priority as anchors
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 12/01/2009
- Demand for public computer centers can't be met
- Application is cumbersome
- Libraries should be prioritized as anchor institutions
In comments filed to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) regarding the implementation of the federal stimulus program for broadband access, the American Library Association says the needs and functions of libraries deserve a lot more attention.
The comments regard the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).
More money for computer centers
ALA stated:
More funding should be allocated to the Public Computer Center program than the minimum of $200 million set forth in the statute. There is tremendous demand for these dollars (over $1.9 billion was requested in the first round as compared to the $50 million allocated), and expanding public computer center capacity will help to create new jobs and serve the needs of vulnerable population groups.
That means that only 2.6 percent of the dollars requested would be funded. More funding for this program would not only allow public libraries to expand access, ALA said, it would create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and promote residential broadband adoption.
Streamlined application needed
ALA stated:
The application process should be streamlined significantly, and perhaps completely overhauled. Many libraries were completely overwhelmed by the detailed rules, the lengthy and sometimes contradictory documentation, and the confounding web interface.
ALA said, for example, that the applications for the programs do not run on some commonly-used web browsers and that the lack of space for project descriptions inhibited the development of innovative projects as well the capacity of libraries to explain their situations.
Libraries deserve priority as anchors
ALA stated:
The Infrastructure program should give greater priority to funding anchor institutions, such as public libraries. The program rules in the first round were skewed in favor of residential applications, but the limited amount of funding available will not come close to serving the needs of residential consumers. The Infrastructure fund should be focused on building high-capacity broadband connections to anchor institutions in almost every community across the country, including those in urban, suburban and rural areas.ALA noted that, for example, the terms "unserved" and "underserved" are defined in terms of service available to residential customers, but libraries serve a much broader population.
