The Library Shelf
Supreme Court case keeps service fund alive for libraries and schools
The Supreme Court issued several major rulings last week, but one that flew under the public radar was being followed closely by thousands of schools, libraries and universities: Wisconsin Bell, Inc. v. United States of America ex rel. Todd Heath, 144 S.Ct. 2657 (2024).
If you haven’t heard of Educational Rate (E-Rate), you’re not alone. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t make headlines. But since 1996, it has helped ensure that millions of Americans — especially students, rural families, and people who rely on public libraries — have access to affordable telecommunications and internet service.
At the heart of the case was whether the Universal Service Fund (which funds E-Rate) is constitutional. The fund is managed by the FCC but administered by a third-party nonprofit, and that arrangement came under legal challenge. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that it is constitutional.
What this has to do with your local library
When I first started working at the Napa County Library, we were already benefiting from E-Rate. Back then, it meant discounted phone service. Each year, we filled out federal paperwork and, in return, received subsidies that helped stretch our limited public funding a little further.
The money that supports these subsidies doesn’t come out of a general tax fund. Instead, it’s funded through a small fee on most people’s phone or internet bills – one of those small add-ons at the bottom of the monthly statement. That fee goes into a pool (the Universal Service Fund), and from there, it’s distributed to help ensure equal access across the country. It’s the same logic that helped bring landlines to rural America decades ago: everyone chips in a little so that no community gets left behind.
Today, the program covers more than phones. It helps libraries and schools afford high-speed internet, which is essential—not a luxury—in modern life.
A fundamental shift in broadband internet access
Ten years ago, most of our library branches technically had internet service, but it wasn’t fast, and it wasn’t reliable. I had faster service at home than we had at any of our library locations, except Napa, and we paid more for it because it was classified as a business line. We had to throttle the connection per user just to keep everything running. Streaming video? Hard no.
That changed thanks to a nonprofit in California called CENIC, which helps public institutions like ours tap into E-Rate more effectively. Through their support, we were able to get fiber installed, upgrade hardware, and ensure consistent, high-speed connectivity regardless of how many users we had.
Almost overnight, we saw the difference. The new infrastructure meant we could finally offer fast, reliable service. And because so many schools and libraries now participate, we even get hardware at steep discounts, sometimes half off retail.
The big change we didn’t see coming
When COVID hit in early 2020, we had no idea just how vital internet access would become. Everything shifted online: school, work, healthcare, virtually all social services.
The week before our library closed to the public, we moved our Wi-Fi routers to the edges of our buildings so the signal would reach as far into the parking lot as possible. In the months that followed, even when our buildings were empty, our lots stayed full. People showed up at all hours: students logging into remote classes, job seekers submitting applications, even public safety officers accessing work systems from our network.
That kind of access was only possible because of E-Rate. And the need hasn’t gone away. Today, around 100,000 people use our public computers or Wi-Fi each year. Without E-Rate, our costs would increase dramatically and, because many institutions might have to leave the system, the whole program was in question. But with E-Rate, we’ve continued to upgrade our network and will be expanding from 1gbps to 10 later this summer.
This isn’t just a public library story
It’s easy to think of internet access as a personal or household issue. But public infrastructure still matters, maybe now more than ever. Programs like E-Rate help level the playing field. They help rural schools stream lessons, city libraries serve job seekers, and small-town families stay connected to the world (did you know that we circulate hotspots?).
While this Supreme Court ruling keeps the program intact, it’s worth noting that Congress still has the authority to change it. They could alter the fee structure. They could scale it back. They could even eliminate it altogether.
But for now, the system remains. That means we can keep doing what we do best: connecting people to resources, information, and opportunities.
The Yountville Library is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be reached at (707) 944-1888.
To contact the author, Napa County Library Director of Library Services and Community Outreach Anthony Halstead: [email protected]
Questions or suggestions for your Library Commissioner Myrna David: [email protected]
Learn more about Friends of the Yountville Library, send an email to: [email protected]
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