After thirty years of keeping libraries online, the E-Rate program has seen its share of challenges. Just in the last two years, the program weathered the loss of support for hotspot lending and suffered through a Supreme Court Challenge. While the Supreme Court decision ultimately went in our favor, there is no time to sit back and relax for library advocates. In June, the Federal Communication’s Commission (FCC) launched a proceeding (officially, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) that threatens to terminate this vital program. Now is the time to show up for E-Rate and tell the FCC what broadband access at your library means for your community.
A Quick E-Rate Refresher
One of four programs within the FCC’s Universal Service Fund, set up in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the E-Rate program was established to ensure public libraries and K-12 schools have affordable access to advanced telecommunications (i.e., broadband and internet access). Today, E-Rate provides funding to almost three-quarters of public libraries to help offset monthly internet service costs and the costs for eligible technology necessary for making sure Wi-Fi is available throughout the building. How much are we talking about? Currently the program sends about $2.4 billion to public libraries and K-12 schools annually. E-Rate has received steady bi-partisan support in Congress and has been championed by both republican and democratic-led Commissions.
What’s at Stake?
Simply put, the FCC asks a series of questions in the Notice that puts the sustainability and purpose of the E-Rate program in jeopardy. Most concerning, the FCC suggests that because the majority of libraries and schools have broadband and provide internet access today, there is no longer a need for the E-Rate program. The Notice proposes terminating the program completely. As an alternative to eliminating the program, the Notice proposes it could be focused only on rural areas or areas with only one internet service provider, cutting out urban communities where the need for E-Rate funding is equally great.
Second, the FCC is hunting for a way that it can play a role in reducing the negative impact on learning and emotional wellbeing screentime can have for children. Questions in this section propose using the E-Rate program as a vehicle to reduce screentime exposure. Questions also put the FCC in the position to determine educational purposes and outcomes for students.
Imagine you’re told that your library’s internet costs are going to increase by up to 90%, which is the discount the neediest libraries and schools can receive. Even if the costs went up by 20%, which is the baseline, coming up with additional funding to cover your internet bill means having to shift funds that were earmarked for other expenses. For some libraries it may mean degrading the internet service they currently offer to speeds they can afford. For others it might mean fewer dollars going to programs or a smaller collections budget. Other libraries may find themselves in the position of having to consider reducing hours or other more drastic measures. The bottom line is that library internet is indispensable.
What’s your Internet Story?
Walk into any library and you’re likely to see people parked in front of public access computers or set up at a worktable using their own laptop and the library W-Fi. Many libraries provide meeting rooms equipped with teleconferencing technology where remote workers conduct their daily business. Others have study rooms where patrons can connect with a healthcare provider, take a practice test for the GED, or have a virtual job interview. A library might host an afterschool club where students can use library tech tools to upload a video they create. Another might host the town council meeting and make it available to community members watching live at home. Library workers, trustees, friends, and other supporters can readily come up with their own internet use story, often providing an example that would have had dire consequences for the patron if the library had not been there providing no-cost internet access.
Show Up for E-Rate
Each year for over 11,000 public libraries in rural, tribal, suburban, and urban communities across the country these daily interactions are powered by E-Rate funding. Now is the time to tell Congress and the FCC that E-Rate is essential. It was established with the recognition that as technology evolves over time, libraries and schools would need a sustainable source of funding so their network capacity could keep pace. Losing E-Rate funding will be a financial strain on libraries because library workers know their communities depend on the fast, reliable, broadband they can get at their local library. Doing without or going backwards is not an option.
ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office put together a one-stop-shop for library advocates to take action.
Using the resources on the Save Our E-Rate website, over 9000 advocates have already made their voices heard in Congress. Others are sending a message to the FCC by submitting comments in response to the Notice. Tell your representatives and the FCC what broadband and Wi-Fi mean for your library and the people who depend on it every day. Let them know E-Rate has not finished its job yet. In fact, it’s more important than ever and critical for libraries to sustain gains made in the last 30 years and prepare for what comes next.
Marijke Visser is Director of Library Development at the Maine State Library where she leads a team of Specialists who strengthen Maine’s 256 public libraries through professional development that equips staff to deliver equitable, community-centered services. When driving around rural Maine, Marijke thinks first about the natural beauty of her adopted state and next thinks about the essential role Maine’s libraries have in keeping their communities connected.
The post E-Rate Under Threat: Take a Stand and Show Up for E-Rate first appeared on Public Libraries Online.
