Greetings Michigan Library Community,
Thanks to Sheryl Knox for this explanation about Cat 2 funding and encouragement to take advantage of E-Rate discounts. I have a couple of additional notes:
- Coming to the Small and Rural Libraries Conference? There will be an E-Rate panel with me, Joe Polasek, and Matt Stark of the MiSEN about the new horizon of E-Rate in Michigan. It’s
not your last director’s program any longer with the MiSEN! Check the booklet for time and location.
- Not quite sure what the MiSEN is or how it could benefit you? It’s a Michigan fiber network originally built for schools that now is open to libraries. Libraries are responsible for
the last mile connection and then they would benefit from:
- Up to 10 Gig at under 50 cents a MB
- A consortium application where the library workload for cat 1 funding would be reduced to signing a yearly Letter of Agreement
- You’re still on your own for cat 2 so if you’re interested in those discounts, don’t miss Joe’s webinar!
- Joe Polasek has 100% of his time devoted to E-Rate and while he is assigned to schools, he’s a strong advocate for libraries. We’re lucky to have him! I am still the library coordinator.
The email address to contact for help is erate@michigan.gov – that will reach Joe, myself, and our consultant at E-Rate Central so you get to the best person to address your concern most quickly.
Have a great day.
Sonya Schryer Norris
Library Consultant
Library of Michigan
Michigan Department of Education
517-335-1498
https://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan
Family Matters is an outreach effort to equip families of children with disabilities by offering free information and resources.
Visit Family
Matters, call OSE Information Line at 888-320-8384 or Email:
mde-ose@michigan.gov.
From: michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org>
On Behalf Of Knox,Sheryl Cormicle via Michlib-l
Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2020 10:00 AM
To: michlib-l@mcls.org
Subject: [Michlib-l] Webinar on E-rate Category 2 Changes
Michigan’s State E-rate Coordinator, Joe Polasek, is offering a webinar describing and answering questions about how the E-rate Category 2 funding for this year and subsequent years is going to work.
Why should you care? E-rate Category 2 funding can be used for network equipment, cabling, WiFi systems, firewalls, and support services. Of course there are
footnotes and details, which you can read about here. The way I look at it, if there are pressures on my budget because of things like declining penal fines or lower library fine revenue, then why not claim more of the money that my community is paying
into the USF system anyway? I have to buy these things for my library regardless, so let’s allow the feds to pay part of the bill.
This webinar is NOT an overall “how to apply for E-rate”. It
IS about how the funding formula for the Category 2 program is changing. Spoiler: the pool of money you are eligible for is probably bigger than ever.
E-Rate Category 2 Changes for the Coming E-Rate Funding Years
By Joe Polasek
Friday, January 24, 2020
9:30 – 10:30 am
Zoom Webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/555783979?pwd=SVdaSEdQV25ndThHYVlHaWRQdkV2QT09
By telephone: 646-876-9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 555 783 979
______________________________________________
Sheryl Cormicle Knox, Technology Director
Capital Area District Libraries – Administration
401 S. Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933
517-367-6347 | knoxs@cadl.org
http://www.cadl.org|
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