 So, how are you feeling about just introducing yourself a little bit about your history at the Electric Public Library or working at libraries in Texas? And then, you know, you can see my questions, I just wanted to know a little bit about the town. And in particular, you might emphasize, since this is related to internet, do you know how many different vendors or carriers you might have, just an approximation that are available in the community? Okay. Generally, if you live in that community, what kind of speed do you have at home? Right. Those kinds, that's, so it's not, it is the people, and that's why we're all here, because we're interested in having the people have faster internet at the library. But this particular group is going to be more focused on those kinds of numbers, I think. Oh, we can promise you with that. Yeah. So, we can, yeah. So, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself and say. Okay. Laura, where are you from? Yeah. Okay. My name is Stacy Nelson. I'm from Electra, Texas. I am the library director for the Electric Public Library. I've been here since 2012 before coming to work here. I worked for our school system as a school librarian from 2004 until 2012. So I don't have a master's in library science because of the population. We're not required to have that here to run the library. So I'm always trying to learn new things and keep myself up to date on what we need to be doing so that our library can continue to grow. I was hired for this job because I embrace technology and I have a desire for our youth here in town. And I also get along with our older patrons. And my heart really lies with the kids. So is that good? And then you can just prompt her with anything. Okay. So then, just some background about the public library there. Prior to your participation in the library is Connecting Texas, which is the program that we're going to be highlighting with you today. What was the internet speed in the library? And I first took over that we were wired in with our telephone company. And they were just starting to explore the internet services. So our speed was really slow. It was a dial-up internet. And so I think a year after I got here, we switched to satellite providers. And in Electra, we have like four different companies that can connect you with satellite internet. Now that our phone company just got purchased by a more technologically savvy company. So they're starting to install fiber here in town. But it wasn't available when we went through the library Connecting to Texas program. The highest speed that we could get was six megabytes per second download and two megabytes per second upload. That is the only speed that we could really function at. A lot of the providers here in town are not as dependable. So we went with the one that was the best suited for our speed. Because of how slow our speed was, we really didn't have that much computer traffic because people just got tired of sitting there waiting for it to load. Did you offer Wi-Fi to the community? Yes. We had Wi-Fi that was available 24-7. I mean, they could pull up outside the library and access it if, you know, weather permitting. You know how satellite internet is. If you've got clouds in the sky, your internet's not going to be all that great. So we were having to run the library on that speed as well through our circulation computers and all of that. So with us being on there and other people being on there, it would slow the speed down so much that even our circulation computers would time out. So it was really, really a hectic thing to have to deal with day in and day out. Our school system, and I worked, my IT person is also full time for the school as an IT person. And I was, I worked with them when I worked for the school system. So they brought the fiber lines in to help their speed. And then they brought it to my attention. And then the state library brought this program to all of our attentions. And I immediately jumped on it. I asked my city manager if I could have permission to do this. And they told me that that was fine, as long as when that first year was up, because they helped pay for that extra 20%. Once that was up, I would have to find a different way to fund paying for that 20% that was our responsibility. So our... So the libraries connect Texas that paid for the one year? Yes. Yes. And that was a million dollars, I believe, that they provided for libraries across the state. Right. Right. When you're doing all of that and you have such a low speed, then the consultants that the state library provided helped to write in to my application, you know, or the thing for the companies to bid to bring their service to our library. They helped write in, you know, the extra equipment that those companies would provide, you know, free of charge because they were bringing their services to us. And so that was really helpful because I had no idea that it was going to require so much update on servers and all kinds of, you know, I can't think... So it's the library infrastructure that you're talking about. Right. Within the library, you had to do some things in order to be able to work with that type of a speed that you were going to be receiving. That's correct because the higher the speed, the more it would put... It would put it on the system we already had and our system could not support that speed so it would have burned it up, you know. So we had to think about that and then the company that I went with said that if I signed up for a three-year agreement, they would not charge me for the installation of the fiber. So that saved us money that way. And you know, you can... Go ahead. Was that a unique deal? Did each one... Do you know about other libraries participating? Did each one kind of come up with whatever fit their needs across the state when they were doing that? Do you know? Yes. I would think that all the consulting company that the state library provided us with would come in and ask you different questions and then, you know, help you to put what you needed into your application for e-rate. And so in that experience, as far as within the library, were you the sole person that communicated with them or did you have people, board members or other community members come in and provide you with some thoughts about what was needed or... No, I presented it to my library board but they're only an advisory board. Okay. The only one that I really had to get permission from was our city administrator because he is my boss. And he oversees all of our financial needs. So... So you had not applied for e-rate prior to ever in the past prior to signing up to work with this project? Right. I had started doing the EDGE program that our state library provides so that they can help you, you know, develop a plan to update your technology and things like, you know, you go through different webinars and they input, you know, set different goals for you to achieve a little bit at a time so that you can eventually get up to where you're, you know, the speed that we should all be at but we just don't have the funds for, you know. So I was going through that but I had always heard how difficult it was to apply for e-rate so I was a little apprehensive about that. Yeah, we have heard that and we're, I'm sure for some it may be but I think that it sounds to me like you had a positive experience working with the consultants. Do you feel comfortable? Do you feel more knowledgeable about e-rate or what's the, what's your take back from that situation after you've completed it? Well, I feel more comfortable. I like the fact that we do not really webinars. They're conference calls or and stuff and then they record them so that I can go back in and re-watch them on different things that are going on as we're progressing through this program. So the State Library does that for us. We have an agenda and we do these like once a month and so those are really educational on getting you a little bit more familiar with the different websites and how to do a lot of different things, how to submit and all that. So I'm still learning a great deal. I'm not, nowhere knowledgeable yet. And this program became available in 2017. What about the date that it was offered? Let's see. The first, let me think. The first year that we were financed for it was 2018 to 2019, I want to say. And now we're funded for 2019, 2020. Right. And I can't, I know you mentioned to me when we talked on the phone, but you talked about the issue of being able to find the additional funding and maybe I missed it. You already mentioned, you went to your friends of the library. Yes. We had a gentleman here in town that left a million dollar trust to the library. And through the friends group, they get to decide it's meant for the children. Anything that we could use that will benefit our kids, then that is what it's to be used for. Not to handle our budget needs or anything like that, but, you know, having a higher internet speed provides our kids with more benefits for, you know, like if they didn't get their homework and stuff done at school, which our school system really tries to do, that they can come here and, you know, finish working on papers or download pictures or whatever it is they need to do. So we, you, I went to the friends group and I told them that our 20% that we would be responsible for was just a little bit over what I was paying with their approval for the eight megabytes per second of internet that we were getting through a satellite TV satellite provider. So, I mean, it was like maybe a couple hundred dollars more a year to have a hundred megabytes of speed. So they were all on board for that. So great. So that's what we were meeting together at our committee meeting here. And we're recording this ahead of time is to talk about the homework gap. Um, comparing the before and after of when you introduced the hundred megabits per second in the library, do you see an increased number of students coming in? Um, or have you done anything in the community to advertise that this could be a spot to come to do your homework? Uh, I've put it in our, I am, I do a weekly newspaper article. So I put it in there. I've put it on our web page. I've put it in our Facebook page, uh, anywhere I can make use of it. But yes, uh, we, when we were in the lower speeds, we had no one here after school or anything, uh, because it was just way too slow. All this summer, especially, uh, we have 15 computers in the library that are for public use and, um, we have four laptops and then 11 computers. And they're all have someone on them all day long. So, yeah. And so my question would be also, do you, do you have, um, it's interesting because you're, you're basically, you're saying you, you're kind of, you're, you're kind of like, um, very rural because you're using satellite only, it's what you had been for a long time. Do you, um, have a lot of people in the rural areas outside of your community that have no internet at all, families or ranches or? Yes, we do. We have some that have no way to get internet way out where they are. Right. I mean, there might be one company that provides that, but it's so outrageously priced, they can't afford it. Right. Uh, and we leave our wifi on all the time, even when we're not open so that people can pull up in the parking lot and still be able to access the internet if they need it. That's great. So then also, do you have, um, have you increased your programming? Just, I know that we're talking about the homework gap, but do you find ways to collaborate with the school? Do you offer, uh, virtual field trips or anything along that line now, some things that are different because you have that speed and you also have that number of, um, patrons that are younger, that are in the library? Uh, no, because the school system had the, this internet provider before me. So they already have the speed up there to do the virtuals, field trips and things like that. So, um, I haven't done that. I do want to develop, you know, like the coding, um, programs for the older. It's just trying in, in a rural community like this, your, your students are involved in every single activity in school because there's so few of them to cover everything. So trying to find a day or a time that they are not busy when the school is up and going is, is really hard. I'm trying to develop a youth advisory council so that they can kind of help me, you know, decide what kind of programs would pull, uh, students in here and things like that. So I think this next school year, we're just going to have to do some experimenting and see what days we get the better response from. Okay, so I did ask you this question before, but I was, um, and I don't know that, um, on the phone, but we were talking about, you said that the school and the library connected with, were a connection with fiber and that you do have other fiber connections to businesses in the community. And I just wondered if, um, if you had any possibility of sharing that connection between the school and the library, as far as just fiber into town with other businesses, and I can't, I don't think that you were aware of anything at this point in time. Yeah, our, um, our hospital here in town is the only other one that they have, uh, connected the five or two. So, um, and when you file for E rate, you, um, when they file for E rate, are they filing for the school and the library together? This, uh, consulting group, or are you a separate entity as a library only? I'm a separate entity. Okay. Yeah. Uh, the school does not have, uh, accessibility to the, the consultants that I do, or at least they don't take advantage of it if they do. Cause even when I was at the school system, I didn't have any clue about the state library and what it could offer. Uh, we had a, you know, a librarian with the masters in library science at the school system and she wasn't a part of the state library system. So that was all a learning process when I took this over. Uh huh. Well, did either one of you have any additional questions that you would like to ask Stacey? And so Stacey, do you have some additional comments that you might be helpful for, um, okay. When I'm talking about the, like the fiber line, our hundred, 100 megabytes is dedicated just to us, like when you're on a satellite provider or something like that, the more people that are on it, the more the speed pulls down through the whole town so that, you know, only the people that are accessing the internet here in the library affect our speed. You know what I'm, I'm trying to. Yeah. So to me that, that is, uh, kind of beneficial and, um, but yeah, you need to know your, uh, what your system requirements can handle and if you're going to have to update any of that and, you know, I about drove my IT guy crazy trying to get all the answers to the question. I don't think you're probably unique in that related to this program. I just wondered also, do you happen to have a number? I, you talked about, you have your, your, uh, meetings, uh, monthly meetings or cetera about this project, I think, do you know how many other libraries, public libraries in the state took advantage of this? Um, I could look that up for you and email you because they just told me, I want to say it's close to 30 libraries have been funded through the E-rate. Now, how many took advantage of the program that I was a part of or still am a part of? I honestly couldn't tell you that, but I could find out for you. Well, that would be great. We could report on it. Yeah. Cause I told you to, uh, contact Henry Stokes, but he's out on vacation until I think August 1st. I, I actually visited with him. I didn't update you on Friday. I had a great conversation with him. So I put some word in for you that you were, you had agreed to have this conversation with me. So bonus points along the way. Thank you. But we were pointed out, maybe if you could give us just, we should have started with this a little highlights on the population itself, the, of Electra. Yeah, uh, Electra is a population of right around 2,800 people. We're halfway in between Oklahoma city and Dallas. I mean, we're just a little kind of blip in the road, but we're exactly halfway in between both those. So we're close to Wichita Falls, Texas, if you're familiar. Right. So are you looking for like, um, what, uh, is there a business there manufacturer? Uh, our hospital is our largest, uh, provider. We were an oil boom town, you know, and then when the oil took a hit, so did our little town. So we've, we've went down considerably from when my husband and I went to school here. So, um, considerable drop in population, but a lot of people that live here, they, uh, commute back and forth to like Wichita Falls or to Vernon, Texas and, and work, it's cheaper to live here than, you know, you can get like a three bedroom, two bath house here for about $80,000. Right. So how many school districts, um, would you say the library serves, um, is there just one? Yeah. We just serve one. I mean, if, if people from Iowa Park want to come over, they're only like, uh, 15 miles outside of Electra. If people in Iowa Park want to come over and get a card, we kind of let them do that and we're pretty laid back. So, um, we like to be helpful in any way that we can. Very good. Well, thank you so much for your time. I think.