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Know Your Stimulus

NTIA and RUS Announce Notice of Funds Availability of Second-Round Broadband Stimulus Funding

The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for BTOP (pdf) and BIP (pdf) of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. This is the second funding round for the agencies’ broadband programs. Read the full text of the press announcement here.

The new application window opens February 16th and closes March 15th. For key round two changes, see the BTOP fact sheet. In the coming days, the ALA Washington Office will analyze the NOFAs and will issue informational summaries and other resources for libraries here as well as District Dispatch.

Upcoming BTOP/BIP Information Sessions

Webinars The Washington Office will host more webinars in the coming weeks. Previous webinars are archived here. To receive the earliest updates about when past webinar videos become available on-line, subscribe to our blog, District Dispatch.

Workshops The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced its second series of public workshops connected to the application process for the second round of broadband grants and loans under the Recovery Act. As in the first round, NTIA and RUS gave extensive consideration to the workshop locations: they selected locations representative of rural and urban needs, as well as a diversity of regions, populations, topographies and city/metropolitan-area sizes. They also considered the travel needs of attendees.

The workshops are free and open to the general public. 

via Broadband USA

Case Studies

ala.org/casestudies (pdf)

The case studies of these five networks reveal lessons learned that may be instructive for other libraries seeking to establish successful networks. This publication was developed as part of the Opportunity Online Broadband Grant Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help libraries increase and sustain free, quality public access to computers for their patrons.

Networks highlighted in publication include the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN), West Virginia’s Statewide Library Network (SLN), Wisconsin’s BadgerNet, the Maine School and Library Network (MSLN), and the Peninsula Library System (PLS) of California.

The case studies offer no single recipe for a successful library network. Rather, they provide a set of options for libraries to consider as they pursue solutions tailored to the unique circumstances and needs of their community, region, or state.

“Our objective with creating this publication is to stimulate creative thinking that will ultimately result in better connectivity for libraries and their patrons across the country,” Carrie McGuire, director of OITP’s Program on Networks, said.

“Between the funding available for special projects through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the ongoing support for connectivity from the E-rate program, library leaders find themselves in a unique position to consider the development of large-scale broadband networks.”

The publication, available at ala.org/casestudies (pdf), also includes a technical primer on broadband connectivity and networking strategies as well as a networking glossary.

Round One Application Status

Round One - Search Applications Find out the status of any round one application. (Round 2 applications will be posted to the Applications Database at the end of the Round 2 application period.)

Fiber to the Library

fiber thumbThe ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) has released the official version of its policy brief, “Fiber to the Library: How Public Libraries Can Benefit." The purpose of this paper is to assist libraries in understanding the benefits of fiber optic technology and to suggest strategies they can consider when exploring how to obtain fiber connectivity. This paper provides background information and arguments that may be useful in library community applications to the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This policy brief (No. 1) represents the first publication in a newly structured OITP Policy Brief series of signed papers. Subsequent policy briefs are expected to be released in the coming months.