Idaho Commission for Libraries

The Idaho Commission for Libraries is collaborating with many wonderful partners to strengthen the current role of libraries as anchor institutions in order to raise education levels, address economic and employment challenges, and provide access to services for those Idahoans most in need. Our “online @ your library” BTOP grant project will increase connectivity and computing capacity in the least connected public libraries and leverage partnerships to offer services in education, workforce development, and e-government through public libraries statewide.

Idaho is the 7th most rural state (18.1 people per square mile). Much of it is considered underserved and services can be tens or hundreds of miles away. Over 69% of public libraries in Idaho report that they are the only local free public Internet access point in their communities; therefore, libraries play a critical role in the delivery of these resources. With 141 locations in Idaho, public libraries as public computing centers can address these service needs.

Many public libraries currently have slow connection speeds and 25% have three or fewer computers, some of which are too old to run online programs, courses, and tutorials. The online @ your library grant project will:

• increase connectivity in 55 (40%) of Idaho’s public library buildings, from an average of below 1 Mbps to an average of over 6 Mbps;
• increase the number of public computing workstations in those libraries;
• provide broadband access, equipment, training, and support to the libraries;
• expand the reach of workforce development centers, Adult Basic Education (ABE) centers, community colleges, and schools; and
• extend the LiLI online resources to include informal learning resources for traditional and non-traditional students as well as access to collections available through Internet2.

This project will expand the scope and reach of services in education, workforce development, and e-government to all Idahoans who have broadband access to the Internet, including the 375,000 members of "vulnerable populations" (as defined by the BTOP) served by the 55 libraries.