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Stimulus Funds for Broadband - Updates

Earlier News from Tricia Bengel, Nashville Public Library

The Tennessee State Library and the Metro libraries are participating in a series of conference calls with a project manager from the TRAM (Tennessee Recovery Act Management) Team and representatives from the Office for Information Resources (OIR) to prepare a grant application for public libraries. The state’s OIR, after determining the best course of action, will prepare one super-grant, or a grant package, endorsed by the Governor to be presented to the federal government. It is anticipated that there will be three waves of grants and we hope to have the library grant application prepared for the first wave. 

Earlier News from State Librarian and Archivist Jeanne Sugg from her recent report to the TLA Board:

Jeanne Sugg, Jane Pinkston and Lisa Walker, in consultation with Secretary of State Tre Hargett, are preparing proposals that will be beneficial to libraries across the state.  Broadband funding has been widely discussed, but guidelines for the grants have been delayed until mid to late June. Until that time, there are bi-weekly conference calls with ALA and the Chief Officers of State Libraries, and weekly calls with the state Office of Tennessee Recovery Management and representatives from the Metros.  More to come.

Connected Tennessee is offering a series of webinars on Community Planning for ARRA Stimulus Funding. If you have the chance to participate in one of them in your area, we encourage you to do so. Here is a link to the slides from the webinar for the Greater Nashville Regional Council, presented by Connected Tennessee on May 11.

Read articles from newspapers covering the stimulus and broadband.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act links:

USDA Information Related to the ARRA 2009:

  • USDA was appropriated $28 billion (3.5 percent) of the package. The ARRA enables expanded opportunities for broadband loans and grants to rural communities.