New, faster Internet for all

Despite the overwhelming presence of online entertainment and services for most young people in America, there are still pockets of the country that are unable to access Broadband. And of course there are also thousands of families that cannot afford access. The FCC is announcing a new ten-year plan designed to introduce Broadband access to every part of the country and to encourage making it available to all individuals and families. Part of this new plan is a digital education component to teach people how to use online information and services. The Obama administration believes, as many others do, that the Internet will become the major channel of entertainment and information in years and decades to come. There is no information yet about how librarians will be integrated into these new plans, but if we are wise, we will work to make libraries and librarians a vital part of the system. Libraries exist to provide information and entertainment, if the channels of delivery change, we need to be sure that we change with them.