Second-round of broadband stimulus funding gives priority to libraries | District Dispatch

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) says changes made to the second round of funding for the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) will expand the opportunities for libraries and other community anchor institutions to apply and receive funding.

In November, the ALA filed comments to both agencies describing the challenges faced by library applicants in the first round. Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said the association was pleased to note a number of these comments were incorporated in the round-two BTOP Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) and BIP NOFA, which were released Friday...