Closing the digital divide one anchor institution at a time.
Q&A: Libraries and the Emergency Connectivity Fund July 16, 2021
By Alicja Johnson, communications manager, SHLB Coalition
The Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) is a $7 billion opportunity that will allow schools and libraries to pay for off-campus connectivity and internet-enabled devices. In order to address ECF concerns unique to library applicants, the American Library Association (ALA), the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), and the SHLB Coalition recently co-hosted an open Q&A forum. The recording of this Q&A call is available below, as are links to resources mentioned during the discussion.
Please keep in mind that the Q&A recording is an informal conversation. For definitive answers about ECF questions, we recommend visiting official resources from the FCC and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), many of which are linked below.
ECF Resources for Libraries
- ALA CIPA Cheat Sheet
- ALA ECF Resource Page
- ALA Sample Acceptable Use Policy and Patron Certification of Need Statement
- ALA Summary of the ECF Order
- Chat Transcript from the ALA/NDIA/SHLB Call
- FCC ECF FAQ Webpage
- USAC ECF Webpage
- USAC Office Hours and ECF Training Sessions