Thursday, May 22, 2003

County Library System Awarded Funds for Telecommunications and Internet Access

County Executive Dennis Levinson has announced an award of more than $227,000 to help fund telecommunications and Internet costs for the Atlantic County library system's nine branches and bookmobile, in addition to nearly $44,000 in E-rate funds for several local institutions.

"We're pleased to receive this assistance for our library system, but we're even more excited to help others gain access to this important E-rate funding," stated Levinson.

The Library system received $227,367.28 in E-rate funds for 2003-2004. The E-rate is a federal program that assists eligible schools and libraries in obtaining affordable telecommunications and Internet access at a savings of 20-90% depending upon the level of poverty and the urban/rural status of the population served. Telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections are the three areas for which funds are approved.

The county also prepared E-rate applications for the Absecon, Cape May County, Linwood, Margate, Northfield and Ocean City libraries and for St. Joseph's School in Somers Point. As a result they received $43,776.24 in funding. Additional E-rate applications are now pending.

E-rate funding was first provided by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 under the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission. The Atlantic County Library System has been awarded E-rate funding every year since the program's inception.

For more information, please contact William Paullin, Atlantic County Library Director, at 625-2776, ext. 6336.

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