Thanks to Mary Ann Van Cura for heads up on notes from the ALA (American Library Association annual) conference meeting on BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program). I would have loved to attend the session – but it was too far to travel. Libraries are always included in broadband adoption programs, the article explains why…

“We are working to expand capacity, not just the physical capacity but also the training capacity, the capacity of libraries to support and educate their patrons in their communities,” said Laura Breeden, the program director for public computing and broadband adoption at the U.S. Department of Commerce. “And were also supporting sustainable adoption projects, meaning working in communities with groups who are very much lagging on the tail end of the adoption curve because they are low income, because they are immigrants, because they are disabled, because they do not understand the benefits of the Internet or how they might use it,” Breeden said.

As regular readers know, I am a librarian by training, though it’s been years since I sat on a reference desk. So I’m partial to libraries and sometimes wonder if that doesn’t cloud my judgment – but Rebecca Orrick’s report on how and where homeless people access the Internet indicates that I’m not alone in thinking of the library as a good go-to place for Internet access, as she reports…

I found that large amounts of homeless individuals report having little to no computer skills, and that many would benefit from increased access. I also found out that many individuals do not know about other places to access the internet for free outside of libraries.

Back to the ALA meeting, librarians seemed to recognize their role and their strength in terms of encouraging broadband adoption…

The BTOP program itself only received about $450 million of the NTIA program’s funding.

“I like to say we are 10 percent of the funding and 90 percent of the heartwarming stories,” Breeden said.

They have the heartwarming stories because they are often at the frontline of support. They aren’t the only ones – as Orrick’s report explains, but they are a strong resource – made stronger by their power to work together in settings such as the annual ALA conference.