The E-Rate program was launched in 1997 by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to provide libraries and schools with discounts on telephone and internet costs. Today, we live in the broadband era in which high-speed data plus wi-fi is the "new normal." Accordingly, the FCC is seeking input on how to update the E-Rate program to serve the needs of local communities. A team of leading telecommunications lawyers is working with ULC to develop recommendations for changing the federal E-Rate program so that more libraries can create value for their patrons. Read more and get involved.

The enduring value of public libraries was recently exhorted by leading YA and sci-fi author Neil Gaiman in a speech to a London audience at the Barbican. In his words, " ... libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication." Read the article.