E-Rate Application Process Webinar From PLA and OITP

From the District Dispatch, ALA DC Office

March Madness has a whole different meaning for libraries involved in the 2015 E-rate application process. The application window, when libraries file the forms that initiate their E-rate applications, closes on March 26 at midnight eastern time. In the next few weeks, libraries will be “heads down” working through the E-rate rules to make sure the forms are filed correctly.

Though the recent E-rate Modernization proceeding wrapped up at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), E-rate applicants are now navigating the changes that impact the current application year, and many questions have surfaced—from how to determine the library’s discount calculation to determining the “main” library for Category 2 purposes. The Schools and Libraries Division of USAC has diligently provided updates and helpful tips through its newsletter and website to help applicants.

To provide even more information during the critical filing period, the Public Library Association (PLA) and ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) have teamed up to provide a just-in-time webinar that offers important tips and last-minute information to help libraries work through the remaining days of the 2015 application window.

While we’re all thinking about 2015, when the window closes on March 26, it’s not too soon to start planning for next year and thus we will also cover some key issues to keep in mind for 2016. We also will provide an overview of ALA’s ongoing outreach and support efforts to reach our goal of doubling library E-rate funding in the coming five years. Join Bob Bocher, OITP Fellow and seasoned E-rate expert, and me for this free E-rate webinar.