Other Posts Rural libraries need Net help Expanded broadband access helps make vital information for democracy available to all Americans In Texas, connecting public libraries a priority Libraries seek to add more computers for Internet users Texas works to improve Internet access in libraries Pilot Grant Program to Improve Internet Connections in Public Libraries Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Announces Pilot Grant Program to Improve Internet Connections

In The News Rural libraries need Net help By Todd Staples, Texas commissioner of agriculture Dallas Morning News: Letters to the Editor As the Internet continues to bring the world to our fingertips, solid economic strength and security requires rural populations to have the same access to information and opportunity as their neighbors in big cities. A first step toward achieving this access is extending broadband service to the hubs -- health care facilities, businesses, schools and libraries. One initiative leading the effort toward wider Internet access is the Opportunity Online project. Born of a partnership between the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Gates Foundation, the Opportunity Online broadband grant program helps libraries improve broadband resources and develop strategies for ensuring the communities they serve stay connected into the future. Through this program, rural libraries are able to help communities keep pace on the information highway while staying competitive in business, education, employment and more. Opportunity for future generations should not be framed by city limits. Creativity and innovation know no boundaries and neither should the opportunities that foster them. As a member of the Opportunity Online Summit Advisory Group and having seen firsthand what a valuable resource libraries are for communities across Texas, I am proud to support the Opportunity Online grant program. I encourage local leaders to get more information about the project and tap into its potential. Link to letter here. << Back to Summit Home