Internet2 has been awarded a two-year $249,994 Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant to bolster the digital capabilities of Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal libraries. Funded through the Laura Bush 21st Century Library Program, the grant will enable the Internet2 Community Anchor Program to work closely with these libraries to scale the adoption of the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit.

The Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit is designed to drive digital transformation within libraries. Using the toolkit, library staff can better serve their communities by enhancing broadband connectivity, expanding access to internet-enabled devices, and building digital skills.

According to a 2021 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, while 90% of households nationwide had broadband internet, only 84% of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian households in Tribal areas were connected. On Tribal lands specifically, this access dropped further to just 71% of households.

By helping to bridge the digital divide in their communities, libraries can facilitate improved access to education, health, and economic information and opportunities.

“The availability of the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit will truly benefit Native American libraries and will help support opportunities for access to digital collections, e-government services, distance learning, and other essential community services that libraries provide,” said Susan Feller, president and CEO of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.

Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal libraries face unique challenges in improving digital equity, including geographic remoteness and limited telecommunications infrastructure. Additionally, gaps in resources and local technical expertise can hinder efforts to address these issues effectively. These barriers reinforce disparities, restricting access to essential services, education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and other opportunities to participate in a digital society.

“Trainings and workshops help Tribal communities to fill in the information gaps and promote creating sustainable broadband networks. Another critical aspect is creating a network of tech experts among Tribal communities who can share information and best practices,” said Matthew Rantanen, director of technology for the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, director of the Tribal Digital Village Network/Initiative, vice president of Tribal Broadband at GoldenStateNet, and co-founder of the Tribal Broadband Bootcamp.

Rantanen, who is also a consultant for Internet2’s IMLS grant project, added, “A network of Tribal network builders creates a stronger Indian Country as it solves its own communications deficits in their respective communities.”

This combination of technical training and the cultivation of a robust network of experts lays the foundation for lasting, community-driven advancements in connectivity and digital inclusion. The new IMLS grant will help scale the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit as a supporting resource for this self-transformation.

“We’ve seen first-hand how the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit can help uplift communities, one library at a time,” said Stephanie Stenberg, director of the Internet2 Community Anchor Program and the IMLS grant’s principal investigator and project co-director. “This new grant allows us to further support and collaborate with Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Tribal library staff, who bring invaluable cultural insights to lead technology change and build digital skills across generations.”

The project will offer free and accessible technology training for library staff, enabling them to better understand, fund, and improve their library technology and broadband resources. Additionally, it will assist them in harnessing landmark infrastructure and E-Rate funding options now available to Tribal libraries.

Initially funded in 2015 and expanded in 2020 through previous IMLS grants, the Toward Gigabit Libraries program is instrumental in helping libraries assess and improve their broadband infrastructure and IT environments.

“This third IMLS award for the toolkit is a tremendous vote of confidence and shows the importance of supporting the capacity of Native American libraries to build technological and data sovereignty from the ground up,” said Carson Block, president of Carson Block Consulting Inc. and the IMLS grant project co-director. “The hands-on learning opportunities funded by this grant are designed to demystify essential technology principles to help Native libraries powerfully serve their communities.”

Speaking to the grant project’s comprehensive approach, Feller added, “We find great value in digital equity planning, technology skills training, funding library infrastructure and programming, library staff professional development, Native language translation of the toolkit, and ensuring general awareness of the toolkit for our community.”

For more information, download the Toward Gigabit Libraries toolkit.

About Internet2

Internet2^® is a nonprofit, member-driven advanced technology community founded by U.S. leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 delivers a diverse portfolio of technology solutions that leverages, integrates, and amplifies the strengths of its members and helps support their educational, research, and community service missions. Internet2’s core infrastructure components include the largest and fastest research and education network in the U.S. that was built to deliver advanced, customized services that are accessed and secured by the community-developed trust and identity framework.

SOURCE Internet2