E-Rate Information and Training

Did you know that every public library is eligible to receive E-rate money? At the very least, by filling out a few forms you can get as much as a 90% discount on your telephone bills!

The telephone companies and the federal government collect this money from every telephone customer, but unless you ask for it, this money just sits in Washington.

Because it is so important that libraries claim their E-rate money, OPLIN supports workshops on E-rate for public libraries each fall. The workshops are presented by Lorrie Germann, Educational Technology Consultant at eTech Ohio. Lorrie and other staff at eTech Ohio are also available to answer individual questions from public libraries about E-rate issues. You may contact Lorrie at 614-485-6050 or Lorrie.Germann@etech.ohio.gov.

 

E-Rate Technology Planning

Any public library filing for Priority 2 E-rate discounts must have an approved technology plan. In Ohio, Mandy Knapp, Library Consultant–Technology is the person who approves these plans.

Mandy recommends that libraries use TechAtlas when creating their technology plans; WebJunction Ohio has a set of slides illustrating E-Rate Technology Planning with TechAtlas. She highly recommends that all public libraries write a technology plan even if one is not required for E-rate purposes. If you have questions about technology planning or your Plan, Mandy can be reached at (614) 466-1710, (800) 686-1532 or aknapp@library.ohio.gov.

 

Sample CIPA review questions

Form 486 includes certifications on technology plans and CIPA compliance, and may be subjected to random Form 486 reviews. CIPA reviews are apparently done on a non-random basis triggered by specific CIPA concerns. The questions asked by USAC in a CIPA review serve as a useful reminder of the types of documentation applicants should retain to prove CIPA compliance if asked. The following is an example of a USAC CIPA compliance review [cf. http://www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step06/cipa.aspx]:

Listed below are the three requirements that all applicants must meet in order to be considered CIPA compliant. Please answer the following questions.

Technology Protection Measure (Filter)

A technology protection measure is a specific technology that blocks or filters Internet access. It must protect against access by adults and minors to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or — with respect to use of computers with Internet access by minors — harmful to minors. It may be disabled for adults engaged in bona fide research or other lawful purposes. For schools, the policy must also include monitoring the online activities of minors.

Do you have a technology protection measure in place?  Yes____ No____

If Yes, please provide documentation that demonstrates you have a specific technology protection measure in place for FY 20xx that blocks or filters Internet access (e.g., invoice for Internet filtering services, work orders showing when the filter was installed or will be installed, and/or a report demonstrating the web sites that have been filtered, etc.).

Public Notice and Hearing

CIPA requires that a school or library must provide reasonable public notice and hold at least one public hearing to address a proposed technology protection measure and Internet safety policy.

1. Public Notice

  • Have you provided reasonable public notice to address a proposed technology protection measure and Internet safety policy?

Yes_____     No________

  • If Yes, list the date(s) in month/year format when you provided THE FIRST reasonable public notice to address your technology protection measure and Internet safety policy.

Date that reasonable Public Notice was first given: ________

  • Please provide supporting documentation for the public notice requirement (e.g. newspaper references, web site references, letters to the public etc.).

2. Public Hearing

  • Have you held at least one public hearing to address a proposed technology protection measure and Internet safety policy?

Yes _____  No _____

  • If Yes, list the date(s) in month/year format when you held THE FIRST public hearing to address a proposed technology protection measure and Internet safety policy.

Date that the first Public Hearing was held: _________

  • Please provide supporting documentation for the public hearing requirement (e.g. School Board letter or agenda, School Board meeting minutes etc.)

Internet Safety Policy

An Internet Safety policy must address the following issues:

  • Access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet and World Wide Web
  • The safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications
  • Unauthorized access including "hacking" and other unlawful activities by minors online
  • Unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors
  • Measures designed to restrict minors' access to materials harmful to minors
  • Monitoring the online activities of minors and must provide for educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyber bullying awareness and response

Did you have an Internet Safety Policy in place?  Yes ____  No ____

If Yes, please provide:

  • The date in month/year format that the policy was first established: _________
  • A copy of your Internet Safety policy.