Broadband Expansion an “All Hands On Deck” Moment, Says ALA’s Larra Clark

Library Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs (via the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program) are a complement to broadband providers and permanent connections at home—not a replacement for those connections, said Larra Clark, Deputy Director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Deputy Director of the Public Library Association. Library broadband programs, Clark contended, are intended to provide connectivity—whether in the library and at home, via Wi-Fi hotspots—primarily to those who cannot afford their own connections or who only have access to poor service.“It feels like an ‘all hands on deck’ moment right now. That includes libraries and schools, providers, national funders—we have the opportunity to collaborate to increase awareness and confidence in using the internet, and all that it can enable for folks.”