_________________________________________________________________ ALAWON Volume 7, Number 117 ISSN 1069-7799 September 30, 1998 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (75 lines) APPLICATION WINDOW TO OPEN DECEMBER 1, 1998 FOR SECOND YEAR OF E-RATE FUNDING _________________________________________________________________ Note: The following is a September 30 E-Rate Newsflash from the Schools and Libraries Corporation. Redistribution is encouraged. For more information, go to http://www.slcfund.org or call the SLC Client Service Bureau toll-free at 1-888-203-8100. The toll-free fax question line is 1-888-276-8736. APPLICATION WINDOW TO OPEN DECEMBER 1, 1998 FOR SECOND YEAR OF E-RATE FUNDING The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established December 1, 1998 as the new opening date to file applications for the 1999/2000 E-Rate funding period. This action, which changes the opening date from October 1, 1998 to December 1, 1998, has several benefits. It allows schools and libraries to obtain E-Rate funding commitments for the first funding period, and assess their future technology needs in light of those first commitments, before filing applications for the second funding period. The additional time provided by the December 1, 1998 opening date will also give new applicants the opportunity to apply the benefits of lessons learned by the SLC in the first year of the program. The SLC plans to make available such guidance soon after funding commitment decisions letters for the first funding period have been released. This decision was adopted by the FCC on September 28, 1998 in the Seventh Order on Reconsideration (CC Docket No. 96-45). As a result of this decision, schools and libraries may begin to file applications on December 1, 1998, for the 1999/2000 E-Rate funding period, which runs from July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. The FCC also directed the SLC to determine the length of the filing window by October 30, 1998. The SLC Board is now considering the question of the window's duration. Recognizing the importance of the window to the planning of competitive procurement schedules, the SLC will announce the length of the window as soon as possible. Recipients of this E-mail message are encouraged to re-post it and distribute it as widely as possible. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/ subscribe.html or send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Andrew Magpantay All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. _________________________________________________________________