The KINBER Connection - May 2022 Newsletter

KINBER Continues PA Library Partnership with 2022 LCC Cohort

Last month saw KINBER take its relationship with the Pennsylvania library community to new heights with the official launch of the 2022 Libraries Connect Communities (LCC) and Broadband Resources program, Library Cohort. Following the success of last year’s cohort, KINBER and the Office of Commonwealth Libraries (OCL) within the PA Department of Education worked collaboratively to expand this year’s group with a two-tiered membership model that includes 39 total libraries and library systems from 18 Pennsylvania counties. Through the LCC program, these libraries have access to a cooperative learning environment where participating staff attend online webinars and virtual sessions designed to foster greater awareness of emerging technologies in library broadband and skill-building tools to enable the libraries to become more effective community anchor institutions (CAIs). Additional resources include access to testing solutions to improve staff understanding of network performance, upgrades to critical network infrastructure and hardware made possible through LCC’s Library Resource Allocation Funds, and a staff stipend to facilitate greater community engagement and digital literacy activities in each library’s community. KINBER is excited to continue to partner with OCL in assisting PA libraries, providing them with the resources and support they need to become future-ready community leaders in the rapidly expanding world of broadband connectivity.

- JJ Hrechun

Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Events

PEARC22
July 10-14

SC22
November 13-18

2022 Technology Exchange
December 5-9

#ICYMI - In Case You Missed It

H elp for Affordable Broadband is Here! Federal Affordable Connectivity Program for PA Consumers - One of the programs to come out of the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which will expand and make permanent the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program created in response to COVID-19 as the funding source to provide discounts on broadband for income-eligible households. is program is being funded for $14.2 billion, which is part of the $65 billion aimed at broadband issues.

P A's Broadband Authority to give out $100M in 'Internet For All' funds - BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WHTM) — Governor Tom Wolf was joined by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DEC) Under Secretary Jed Kolko in Centre County on Wednesday, May 18 to highlight the Biden Administration’s $45 billion Internet for All initiative and the state’s readiness to manage more than $100 million in federal funds to deploy affordable, high-speed internet to Pennsylvanians.

Crawford County, PA, Surveys Public on Broadband Needs - (TNS) — More than $3 million in public funds is earmarked to improve Crawford County's broadband internet service, but the public is being asked to determine where. A survey to determine where the county should commit the federal dollars is getting underway. The short survey, already available online at arcg.is/154bqj, will help the county target money to areas where internet service either doesn't exist or isn't up to the federal high-speed standard, according to Chairman Eric Henry of Crawford County Board of Commissioners.