The Texas Library Association’s “Digital Conversations” concluded their 2024 statewide tour in Alpine and Wichita Falls this past month. The conversation covered topics such as digital literacy, telehealth, grant funding, broadband accessibility, and the many ways libraries can bring digital opportunity to their communities. Both events were attended by community stakeholders, including government officials, local librarians, private companies, and members of the public interested in learning more about how technology can empower their lives and close the digital divide.
Digital Conversation in Alpine, May 31
Sheila Lalwani, Doctoral Student, University of Texas at Austin, Research Associate, Technology and Information Policy Institute (TIPI)
Sheila Lalwani’s presentation covered a study that UT Austin recently conducted on TSLAC’s Texas Digital Navigators grant program, which funded libraries to develop and implement unique approaches to enhance local digital capabilities. Sheila discussed research findings on how Digital Navigators were able to help close the digital divide in Texas by addressing home connectivity, devices, and digital literacy skills. Digital Navigators are familiar with resources such as Internet service providers and devices, and they help residents learn to use critical online services that provide guidance with anything from food support, rent, education, employment, and childcare, to government benefits and more. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide meaningful data on the participating local libraries to ensure program maintenance and improvement, while providing benchmark data for other libraries seeking to implement Digital Navigator programs in the future.
Don Wetterauer, Director, Alpine Public Library
Don Wetterauer has been the Executive Director of the Alpine Public Library since 2015. He talked about how digital literacy has become a priority for him and his mission is to promote lifelong learning in Alpine and the surrounding community. He has strived to make his library a welcoming facility with relevant and enriching resources that connect the diverse and geographically remote area of Alpine to the world. The Alpine Library promotes STEM learning, ESL for the Big Bend area, computer training, and many digital literacy activities. Don is always looking to the future of technology and even his reading lights are powered by solar energy.
Evan Wolstencroft, Program Manager, Texas Rural Funders
Texas Rural Funders is a membership organization that helps funders build knowledge about, generate attention and resources toward, and engage in collaborative action for rural Texas. With 43 funding organizations in their membership, TRF provides an opportunity for philanthropic organizations to contribute to systemic change that can impact rural communities across Texas. Evan discussed how TRF is a source of news and updates, through their website and newsletter, for grant funding opportunities available to libraries and rural communities. As a nonprofit, their services are completely free with a focus on broadband accessibility and affordability.
Danielle Gallo, Director, Marathon Health Center
In Danielle Gallo’s presentation, she talked about how the Marathon Health Center is a prototype for what rural healthcare can look like in Texas. Rural communities often lack access to nearby healthcare, so her goal is to nurture and educate the local community in body, mind and spirit. The Health Center offers group classes, local memberships for individual workouts, and use of the Zoom room for telehealth appointments and other activities. They also provide space for massage, acupuncture, and nutrition sessions. They have partnered with Texas Tech Health Science Center for TeleMed exams and facilitate appointments with Texas Tech Physicians in Odessa, all while maintaining adherence to HIPAA privacy standards. The health center works closely with the Marathon Public Library, the local access point for the necessary paperwork. The librarian hands out the packet for patients to fill out, then they fax it back to Texas Tech for processing. Onsite equipment includes lung and heart stethoscopes and a high-resolution otoscope for eyes, ears, nose, throat, and skin. Her future plans for the center include offering free CPR classes and free training on their defibrillator machine.
Digital Conversation in Wichita Falls, June 7
Jennifer Prather, CEO, Totelcom Communications, LLC
Jennifer talked about how Totelcom provides customers with the latest in communications services. They deploy fiber optic technology to bring higher speed Internet access to rural communities in the North Texas service area with a focus on economic growth. Jennifer highlighted the many sectors that benefit from broadband. Wind farms in the area can use technology to optimize data. In the “Smart AG” sector, dairies and farms use technology powered by broadband to make them more efficient.
Sierra Sees, Policy and Engagement Manager, Connected Nation
Connected Nation Texas is an independent, public and private initiative working to ensure that everyone can experience the benefits of broadband. Sierra talked about how Connected Nation is working to close the digital divide and emphasized how technology, especially widespread access, use, and adoption of broadband, improves all areas of life, especially in rural communities. She discussed their digital literacy workshops and their community assessments to create an accurate broadband map to promote expansion of broadband and technology throughout Texas. One example she provided related to healthcare. In some rural communities, it can take more than three hours to get X-ray results due to slow internet speeds, making the point on how broadband could literally be the difference between life or death.
Cindy Fisher, Digital Opportunity Supervisor, and Lauren Weber, Digital Opportunity Outreach Coordinator, Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO)
Cindy and Lauren discussed their new online Texas Digital Opportunity Hub, a website that provides substantial data about the digital divide and community-based resources to encourage partnerships. Lauren Weber called the hub a “guiding light” that promotes statewide internet adoption. They covered some of the upcoming federal grant programs from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), including the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to fund infrastructure and adoption, as well as the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant program which will support digital literacy efforts. Also, the five-year action plan for the Broadband Infrastructure Fund, created for Texas by House Bill 5, will be moving into the challenge phase this summer.
Promise Madu, Data and Projects Coordinator – TSLAC office of Library Digital Opportunity
Promise Madu unveiled the new speed test dashboard from the Library Digital Opportunity office (LDO) at TSLAC. The map covers internet speeds at public libraries across the state and will be an invaluable tool to show areas of need when it comes to broadband accessibility and availability. He underscored the need for rural libraries to meet the new FCC standards on broadband which were recently increased to 100/20 Mbps.
The Texas Library Association is planning a webinar for later this year that will bring back some of the panelists for an in-depth discussion on digital literacy.
