First item

I wrote to Tamara Jones this morning to inquire if there will be grant opportunities for Washington libraries at the state level. Ms. Jones is the Government and Association Liaison at the Department of Information Services (DIS). If you wish to contact her directly her telephone number is 360.902.3557 and her email address is [email protected]. When I receive a response from her, I’ll post it to the blog.

Second item

In the meantime, ALA has revised its page, $7.2 billion for Broadband. They have added three “related files” that may be of interest. Comparison of Application Requirements for NTIA and RUS Broadband Programs in the ARRA is for the hardy technical reader. In more common language are The Top Ten Things You Can Do Now…To Get Broadband Stimulus Funding for Your Library and Broadband Funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Broadband funding will be administered by two federal agencies: 1) The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) which will administer the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program ($4.7 billion total) and 2) the Agriculture Department’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for a broadband deployment program ($2.5 billion total). It is still unclear as to how or when these agencies will roll out their grant processes.

A quick read through these web pages indicates that libraries need to think about creating partnerships with other local government agencies.

From the Top Ten Things page: The ARRA is a one-time opportunity to advance broadband build out to the underserved, the unserved and “special populations.” Libraries potentially may fit into several parts of the NTIA and RUS programs. Think “fiber (and other technologies) to the library.”

Third item

There a link to a video archive of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Broadband Initiative Kick Off held today, March 10. featuring U.S. Department of Agriculture Sec., Tom Vilsack, Acting Federal Communications Commission Chairman, Michael Copps, and U.S. Dept. of Commerce Senior Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff, Rick Wade. They announced there will be a series of public meetings.

Fourth Item

Keyword to watch: Public Computing Center. Broadband Technology Opportunities Program provides funding for public computer centers at community colleges and libraries.

SEE ALSO: Broadband Stimulus Funding, Part 2; Broadband Stimulus Funding, Part 3