For Immediate Release: January 31, 2017

 

Contact:

 

Robert Kinney

Robert.Kinney@ct.gov

(860)757-6668

 

Maria Bernier

Maria.Bernier@ct.gov

(860)704-2204

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The State Library Board Approves a third round of Grants for High-Speed Fiber Connections to the

Connecticut Education Network

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Hartford, CT) The State Library Board recently approved a third round of grants to public libraries for high-speed fiber connections to the Connecticut Education Network (CEN).  A total of $146,950  was awarded to 6 public libraries.  Public libraries serve as critical gateways to information outside one’s own community.  In the Information Age, this role has become even more important. Libraries give people without home computers free access to the Internet, helping residents close the digital divide. As reliance upon public libraries to provide broadband telecommunications services for their community increases, it becomes essential to have universal high-speed connectivity in libraries across the state.

 

This brings to 44 the total number of libraries that have received grants totaling $1,018,380. In 2015, the General Assembly appropriated $3,600,000 for Grants-in-Aid for high-speed connections to the Connecticut Education Network (P.A. 15-1 Sec. 13(j)(2)). On May 27, 2016 the State Bond Commission approved an allocation and bond authorization to the State Library for $3.6 million for high-speed library connections to theConnecticut Education Network for more than 90 libraries in Connecticut. 

 

The grant covers all of the costs related to installing the fiber connection to the library. It is anticipated that the connections will be completed in the first half of 2017.  The State Library Board is expected to award another round of grants in January.

 

The Connecticut State Library is an Executive Branch agency of the State of Connecticut. The State Library provides a variety of library, information, archival, public records, museum, and administrative services to citizens of Connecticut, as well as the employees and officials of all three branches of State government. The Connecticut State Archives and the Museum of Connecticut History are components of the State Library. Visit the State Library at museumofcthistory.org/ | twitter.com/LibraryofCT | facebook.com/CTStateLibrary | flickr.com/photos/ctarchives/

 

Additional information about the project can be found at http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/erate/faq

 

 

 

 

                              

 

Library	Town	Grant amount	Senate Dist	House Dist
Clark Memorial Library	Bethany	$            18,000	17	89
Cragin Memorial Library	Colchester	$            11,810	33	48,34
Mansfield Public Library	Mansfield	$            65,360	29	54
Howard Whittemore Memorial Library	Naugatuck	$            14,960	15	70
Scotland Public Library	Scotland	$            14,720	29	47
Wolcott Public Library	Wolcott	$            22,100	16	80
Total		$          $146,950

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert W. Kinney |Outreach Services Librarian | Robert.Kinney@ct.gov| Office: (860) 757-6668
www.ctstatelibrary.org | 231 Capitol Ave. Hartford CT 06106 | Fax: (860) 757-6503

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