Public Information and Communication
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10, 2000
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Pam Scott
402-471-2694
800-307-2665
NEBRASKA LIBRARIES RECEIVE SUPPORT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Nebraska Library Commission Director Rod Wagner announced that seventy-one public libraries in Nebraska were refunded $144,883.22 in discounts on their 1999 telecommunications costs through a program known as e-rate. "We are pleased to see that this nationwide program is helping to make telecommunications services and technology available to Nebraska citizens of all ages," Wagner said. "Nebraska public libraries can now provide the books and other resources that communities have always expected, along with the technology to access a world of information." E-rate is a federally managed program that promotes growth and development in the use of telecommunications in schools and libraries.
Public libraries applied for discounts on basic telephone service, monthly Internet service, and installation of new services such as wiring, cabling, hubs, routers, and servers to provide faster and better connections to the Internet. (See attached complete list of libraries and funding amounts.) These (and other) libraries are now in the process of applying for discounts on telecommunications services for July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001.
The E-rate program, funded through the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), provides affordable access to telecommunications services for all eligible schools and libraries in the United States. Twenty to ninety percent discounts were figured based on statistics gathered from the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program in schools.
An Information Age update to the time-honored concept of universal service, funding for the universal service discounts comes from the telecommunications industry. The level of discounts schools and libraries are eligible to receive depends on economic need and location, rural or urban. The Schools and Libraries Universal Service Program was established as part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide affordable access to telecommunications services for all eligible schools and libraries, particularly those in rural and inner-city areas. For more information about the e-rate program, see the Schools and Libraries Division web page at www.sl.universalservice.org.
As the state library agency, the Nebraska Library Commission is an advocate for the library and information needs of all Nebraskans. The mission of the Library Commission is statewide promotion, development, and coordination of library and information services, bringing together people and information.
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1999 E-Rate Support for Nebraska Libraries
Ainsworth Public Library $550.48
Alice M. Farr Library $1,044.33
Alliance Public Library $2,120.46
Arapahoe Public Library $672.00
Auburn Public Library $630.36
Axtell Public Library $554.04
Battle Creek Public Library $582.07
Beatrice Public Library $5,018.16
Blue Hill Public Library $508.20
Bruun Memorial Library $1,129.80
Butler Memorial Library $122.04
Cedar Rapids Public Library $714.00
Central City Public Library $1,180.80
Ceresco Community Library $614.40
Clay Center Public Library $609.66
Columbus Public Library $1,440.00
Crawford Public Library $750.00
Crete Public Library $1,850.40
Deshler Public Library $450.00
Elmwood Public Library $209.61
Emerson Public Library $275.00
Fairmont Public Library $1,032.01
Garfield County Library $580.02
Geneva Public Library $1,080.00
Gibbon Township Library $3,600.88
Gordon City Library $1,412.04
Gothenburg Public Library $1,286.67
Grand Island Public Library $8,649.60
Graves Public Library $828.00
Gretna Public Library $720.00
Hartington Public Library $615.60
Hoesch Memorial Public Library $720.00
Holdrege Public Library System $1,795.20
Hooker County Library $327.00
Hooper Public Library $637.28
Jensen Memorial Library $1,268.82
John A Stahl Library $1,260.00
John Rogers Memorial Library $588.00
Kearney Public Library $8,878.80
Keene Memorial Library $1,726.08
Klyte Burt Memorial Library $436.10
LaVista Public Library $3,360.00
Lincoln City Libraries $19,062.33
Lyons Public Library $924.04
Madison Public Library $3,183.09
Maltman Memorial Public Library $468.00
Mead Public Library $338.40
Mitchell Public Library $613.20
Morrill Public Library $627.20
Morton-James Public Library $1,756.80
Nebraska Library Commission $4,871.52
Neligh Public Library $1,165.67
Newman Grove Public Library $982.08
North Platte Public Library $12,087.06
Omaha Public Library $20,549.97
Orchard Public Library $291.84
Palmyra Memorial Library $467.64
Plattsmouth Public Library $1,701.00
Ponca Public Library $659.70
Rock County Library $1,563.52
Seward Public Library $1,770.72
South Sioux City Public Library $2,952.00
Superior Carnegie Library $916.50
Syracuse Public Library $315.00
Tilden Public Library $640.80
Valentine Public Library $1,176.00
Wayne Public Library $306.00
Wilson Public Library $882.00
Wisner Public Library $1,630.99
York Public Library $465.36
Yutan Public Library $686.88
Total $144,883.22
The most up-to-date news releases from the Nebraska Library Commission are always available on the Library Commission home page. Point your World Wide Web browser to nlc.nebraska.gov, search on news releases.