A digital equity grant awarded to Internet2 will be used to enhance the capabilities of Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal libraries, the group announced this week.
Internet2 is a nonprofit community of more than 2,000 organizations that works to provide advanced technologies that are oriented for research and education.
The two-year, $249,994 Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant, which was funded by the Laura Bush 21st Century Library Program, will enable the Internet2 Community Anchor Program to “scale the adoption” of the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit in these libraries, according to the announcement. The Toward Gigabit Libraries program was initially funded in 2015 and expanded in 2020 through previous IMLS grants.
The “toolkit is designed for small, rural, and Tribal libraries with limited information technology (IT) support,” a short video explained. “The goal is to improve and evolve library staff understanding and interaction with the library’s broadband connection and services.”
Internet2 explained that digital transformation efforts are essential because these libraries dwell under the national averages for broadband access.
A 2021 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey showed that, compared to the 90% of households nationwide with broadband internet, only 84% of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian households in Tribal areas and only 71% of households on Tribal lands had broadband. These groups in Alaska face unique challenges in improving digital equity, including geographic remoteness and limited telecommunications infrastructure.
“The availability of the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit will truly benefit Native American libraries and will help support opportunities for access to digital collections, e-government services, distance learning, and other essential community services that libraries provide,” said Susan Feller, president and CEO of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
In addition to helping Alaska’s libraries diagnose and fix problems they may have with their technology, the digital equity toolkit can help them prepare for E-rate requests and budget cycles. It also offers resources that can help improve communication between library and tech people, according to the video.
Key sections of the toolkit include Technology Inventory, Broadband Services and Activities, Broadband Technical and Operational Support, Broadband Funding, and Additional Resources and Best Practices.
“We’ve seen first-hand how the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit can help uplift communities, one library at a time,” said Stephanie Stenberg, director of the Internet2 Community Anchor Program and the IMLS grant’s principal investigator and project co-director.
“This new [digital equity] grant allows us to further support and collaborate with Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal library staff, who bring invaluable cultural insights to lead technology change and build digital skills across generations.”
A recent Telecompetitor interview with Larra Clark, deputy director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy and Advocacy Office and deputy director of the Public Library Association, explains the importance of various broadband programs in public libraries.
