ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 8, Number 13 February 5, 1999 In this issue: SLD EXTENDS APPLICATION WINDOW Note: The following is a notice from the Schools and Libraries Division. APPLICATION WINDOW EXTENDED TO 4/6/99 To give you more time to prepare your 1999-2000 E-rate application, and to increase the chances that you'll have heard a decision on your 1998 application before you need to apply for Year 2, the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has officially extended the closing date of the Year 2 application window to 11:59 p.m. ET on April 6, 1999. In order to be considered "in the window," you must file Form 470, wait 28 days, and then file Form 471 so that your entire application, including all paper attachments and certifications, is received by SLD by 11:59 ET on April 6. Technically, this means that the last day to file Form 470 and complete the rest of the process within the window is March 9-but you would have to sign any new contracts, complete and sign Form 471, and hand-deliver it to the SLD office in Lawrence, Kansas all on April 6 if you waited that long to file Form 470. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU FILE YOUR FORM 470 NO LATER MARCH 5, 1999. The previous recommended Form 470 filing date was February 5 for a window closing date of March 11. While this window extension gives you almost a month more to start and complete your Year 2 application, we urge you to begin filing as soon as possible. If you file your Form 470 now, you will: * Avoid the heaviest traffic on our Web site (www.slcfund.org http://www.slcfund.org>) and customer service line (888/203-8100). * Give our data entry staff the opportunity to contact you to resolve any problems with your paper applications. * Allow yourself adequate time to complete your competitive bidding process and prepare your Form 471 with care. * Be among the early Form 471 applicants to be reviewed and acted upon as we move toward funding commitments for 1999-2000. * Observe the Passover and Easter holidays that immediately precede the April 6 deadline without having to worry about rushing your Form 471 application and attachments into overnight mail on Monday, April 5. For help filing your Form 470 in a timely fashion, please see "Top 10 Reasons You Should File Your Year 2 E-Rate Application NOW" (at www.slcfund.org http://www.slcfund.org> or via fax-on-demand, 800-959-0733, document #206) and the forthcoming "Quick Tips for Filing Your Form 470 - Even If You Don't Have a 1998 Funding Letter Yet." ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Editor: Lynne E. Bradley; Managing Editor: Deirdre Herman; Contributors: Phyllis Albritton, Mary Costabile, Adam Eisgrau, Carol Henderson, Peter Kaplan, Claudette Tennant and Rick Weingarten.