Public Record from IMLS Hearing on Libraries and Broadband Released

On April 17, the Institute of Museum and Library Services convened the first public hearing it has ever held. We chose this moment because it is full of potential: Tom Wheeler, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman, is working to modernize the E-rate, an important source of telecommunications discounts for libraries and schools.

And, considering the analysis of FCC data that IMLS released just prior to the hearing, this moment is perhaps of even greater importance than many of us may had realized. More than 90 percent of public libraries, a total of 15,551 individual libraries, have used the discounts provided by the E-rate.

Chairman Wheeler was the first speaker; he pronounced that, “We’re moving from supporting 20th Century technology to 21st Century high-speed broadband technology. It’s not just the external connection but it’s how do you get Wi-Fi to the individual in the library.”

He was followed by Tom Power, deputy chief technology officer for Telecommunications, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Our first panel examined what’s working and made a clear statement about the role of libraries in creating opportunity. The second panel focused on data and demonstrated that broadband speeds in libraries, even when they get faster, are deemed insufficient to meet current and future needs. The third panel focused on solutions. Omaha Public Library System Executive Director Gary Wasdin kicked off the panel calling libraries the “technology incubators” for cities.

Following the third panel, former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt provided summary remarks.