The Holbrook Public Library will join the Intergovernmental Technology Educational Consortium following a vote by the Holbrook City Council Sept. 12.
Librarian Wendy Skevington advised the council that the consortium was created to provide Internet access to students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout rural Arizona by installing fiber optic cable to schools and libraries located in the middle mile areas of the state.
The program is called the Arizona Broadband Educational Initiative (ABEI). First mile indicates high-speed Internet access in large cities like Phoenix. Hence middle mile fiber is that which extends to the rural areas of the state.
“This program will allow schools and libraries to apply for monies that are allocated via the state government and/or state corporation commission, as well as the federal E-Rate program, and that will allow us to do it as a large entity and able to leverage the monies that are eligible to each of those entities into bigger projects,” Skevington explained.
Through this program all construction funds incurred by a consortium will be fully reimbursed.
Vice Mayor Wade Carlisle moved to approve the measure and his motion passed unanimously.
