Connectivity Corner Instagram Live series on libraries, broadband access and digital equity

A bimonthly series of live conversations between ALA President Patty Wong and library practitioners who are keeping their communities connected with high-speed broadband, technology and digital skills training. 

The first Connectivity Corner event will take place on Friday, September 17, 2:00-2:45 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. CDT through ALA’s Instagram account (@americanlibraryassociation). President Wong will talk with Chris Martinez, Division Director of Information Technology at Harris County (Texas) Public Library (HCPL), about his library’s innovative efforts to connect the 13.6 percent of households in the county without internet access. Their conversation will cover HCPL’s recent application for thousands of hotspots and Chromebooks through the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a new FCC program to help schools and libraries provide tools and services for remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period.  

Join Patty to hear about HCPL’s ambitious plans, from circulation, training and promotion to engagement with community stakeholders. The conversation will close with 15 minutes for audience questions. Leave with a sample statement of need you can refer to when making application for funding opportunities, including the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which announced a second application filing window September 28 to October 13, 2021.