Libraries and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program

The purpose of this note is to help librarians think about how they can demonstrate that library services, including robust broadband, are essential to the important work of economic recovery. This is not a step-by-step guide to complete an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act application. Instead, it is a compilation of resources that will help the applicant demonstrate that library services make an economic difference in their communities. As other guidance from ALA explains, library applicants should not assume that grant reviewers will know much about the modern role of libraries. In particular, linking the role and activities of libraries to the purposes of the ARRA -- such as creating and preserving jobs and stimulating local economies - is highly desirable. This paper is intended to help applicants make that link.