When Ben Franklin laid the groundwork for our nation’s first library, he could never have imagined the vast opportunities that our 123,000 libraries of all types provide millions of users today. These resources extend well beyond books, largely thanks to the E-rate program that Congress enabled with the Telecommunications Act of 1996. But the future of this vital program is uncertain; the Supreme Court will decide its fate this year.

E-rate helps a majority of U.S. public libraries and schools obtain affordable, high-speed broadband so they can deliver essential services to their communities. Sen. Susan Collins was an early advocate of the Act, and Sen. Angus King has been a leader in ensuring digital access for all. Managed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), E-rate is part of the Universal Service Fund program.

Through E-rate, Buck Memorial Library in Bucksport went digital in 2021, enabling it to also extend Wi-Fi outside the building. So useful was this that a visiting teacher conducted his classes remotely from a bench placed by the entrance after he was stranded in the area during the COVID-19 lockdown. When storms knock out the internet for days and sometimes weeks, additional benches and the parking lot have become go-to Wi-Fi spots. From here, residents let family and friends know they’re safe, do work and homework and apply for FEMA assistance.

The library is also a remote workers hub for 234 residents. For Bucksport, a former paper mill town that isn’t as economically strong as other areas in Maine, E-rate is a lifeline. This 2,200-square- foot library can offer 7,678 area residents some of the same services as larger libraries, like the 12-branch Pioneer Library System (PLS) in Oklahoma City serving 10 communities across three counties.

Since E-rate’s inception, PLS has been able to invest in wiring, routers and broadband needed to support the latest technologies. One example is that of a registered nurse who recently renewed his license at the Newcastle branch when he found that the online continuing education courses and exam weren’t supported by his home computer.

True to its name, PLS pioneered the country’s first 24-hour library, with a kiosk in front of the Irving Recreation Center and junior high school, and within walking distance of apartments in suburban Norman. Today, there are five kiosks where residents pick up and return library items and use free Wi-Fi for online library services around the clock. In other high-traffic, low-connectivity areas, PLS provides solar benches for passersby to charge devices, connect to Wi-Fi and browse e-materials in the library’s collection.

The impact of E-rate is nationwide. In 1996, only 44.4% of public libraries had internet access. By 2000, 95.7% of libraries were able to provide internet services, thanks largely to E-rate. Connecting communities, small and large, to a world of opportunities is what libraries do. In north central Texas, where residents must otherwise travel 90 miles south toward Dallas for medical care, the Pottsboro Public Library converted a storage room into a private telehealth space with a computer and high-speed internet.

On tribal lands, where poverty is extremely high, only about half of Native Americans have high-speed internet access. Through E-rate, four tribal libraries formed the Middle Rio Grande Pueblo Tribal Consortium and were able to fund a fiber-optic network, an investment that will endure for generations.

For these reasons and more, the American Library Association has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court detailing the vital importance of universal service and the E-rate program for libraries and the communities they serve. In separate cases, the 5th, 6th and 11th Circuit Courts agreed with the FCC and upheld the constitutionality of E-rate’s funding mechanism.

After the 5th Circuit reversed course in a 9-7 decision, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. This is an outlier, and the Court should not pull the plug on this powerful program. Without universal service and E-rate, many libraries would no longer be able to afford high-speed broadband connections. Small libraries like Buck Memorial would also need to limit their collection and possibly reduce hours.

Building strong 21st-century communities through digital access for all is possible thanks to E-rate. Imagine how gobsmacked Ben Franklin would be today, on his birthday (Jan. 17), to see how his vision for libraries has evolved, and how the motto he chose for America’s first library remains timeless. “Communiter Bona Profundere Deum Est,” meaning “To support the common good is divine,” rings true, three centuries later.