GAO on E-rate program
The Government Accountability Office issued a report earlier this week on the E-rate program. Their conclusions? Not so good.
A new study issued by the Government and Accountability Office this week concludes that a Federal Communications Commission program that subsidizes school and library Internet, telephone, and computer costs has no real system for assessing its progress. The FCC "does not have specific, outcome-oriented performance goals or longterm goals" for its Universal Service Fund's "E-rate," plan the GAO says. That means the agency can't determine how far it has come in providing Internet and wireless connectivity for the nation's schools.
The report is long and has several appendices. Interestingly, it does mention Internet filtering concerns as one reason why some otherwise-eligible public libraries have shunned getting the E-rate discount:
Internet filtering requirements. Public libraries may be reluctant to participate in E-rate because of the requirement that recipients of Internet access or Priority 2 funding install Internet content filters in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Both of the nonparticipating libraries we spoke with cited this as a reason for nonparticipation, and ALA, based on responses to its survey, estimates that 34 percent of libraries do not apply for E-rate because of this requirement. One library official we spoke with said that Internet filters inhibit access to free and open communication. Additionally, according Internet filtering requirements. Public libraries may be reluctant to participate in E-rate because of the requirement that recipients of Internet access or Priority 2 funding install Internet content filters in accordance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Both of the nonparticipating libraries we spoke with cited this as a reason for nonparticipation, and ALA, based on responses to its survey, estimates that 34 percent of libraries do not apply for E-rate because of this requirement. One library official we spoke with said that Internet filters inhibit access to free and open communication. Additionally, according to this official, if adult users want to access blocked information, library workers have to take the time to manually turn filters off and then back on, which creates an administrative burden.
(Page 32-33 of the GAO report. Wonder who the unnamed library official is ...)