The REA and WWW: A common purpose

Our conversations and lives are filled with an alphabet soup.
Abbreviations and acronyms sprinkle our conversation, text messages, and social media. Perhaps we can credit historians or the early church with B.C. and A.D. (now BCE and CE). Or, we can fast forward to the Great Depression with the New Deal acronyms of WPA, SSA, NRLA, AAA, FERA, CCC, NRA, TVA, and REA. These abbreviations were associated with relief from economic hardship for families in need and the government agencies associated which helped to jolt economic recovery, encouraging job growth and development.
In the 1930s the Rural Electrical Administration (REA) “was created to bring electricity to farms. In 1936, nearly 90% of farms lacked electric power because the costs to get electricity to rural areas were prohibitive.”
One service, Ozark Border Electrical Cooperative, according to its history “Pioneers of Power,” “was formed (in 1938) to provide electric service to areas where private power companies and municipals did not want to go because of the financial commitments and concern for profitability.”
It started with a partnership with REA. Such endeavors built the electrical grid bringing jobs to rural areas, training new workers with much needed skills, and brought economic recovery for rural towns and farms. During the Depression, those who had electricity saw business growth and development, new manufacturers, health care facilities, increased access to educational services, and new roads and these brought new work opportunities. Citizens benefited. This gave them a level playing field crossing geographic and socioeconomic lines.
Today, in much the same way, access to technology is needed to accomplish the same goals. We refer to inequities in technology as the digital divide. According to the FCC, it is estimated that over 14.5 million rural Americans do not have access to Broadband technology. Others estimate this number to be much higher. Our rural region suffers from this digital divide .
Emphasis was given to this issue during the recent Census that focused on online responses and the lack of student access to virtual education. It impacts job skill growth; citizen access to Telehealth; and other services which went online due to COVID-19. Much like the Great Depression, our current pandemic has created a national and international crisis which has highlighted the differences between rural, urban, and suburban areas and regional access to Internet technology.
Libraries across the nation have attempted to ease this digital divid with access to the Internet including computers and free WiFi (inside and outside the building) as well as digital resources available anywhere and anytime with a free library card.
Due to social distancing, libraries developed virtual programming using Facebook and Zoom and expanded their eAccess for books, magazines, and other resources. However due to limited digital access not all of our patrons have been able to take advantage of the vast array of resources libraries provide. Virtual schooling is another indicator of the broad digital divide with limited student access. Recently, Poplar Bluff Municipal Library received a broadband grant ($8,670) as announced Oct. 9, 2020, through the Missouri Department of Economic Development to increase Internet access at its libraries.
This grant makes it possible to develop and improve our WiFI signal into our parking lots allowing the library to give access from 6 a.m to 10 p.m. during open and closed hours.
However, this does not negate the need for developing greater access to Broadband and/or cellular hotspots in rural Missouri providing regular access at home or in community centers to health, education and government services. Much like the alphabet soup agencies worked toward bringing us out of the Great Depression, we are dependent on today’s agencies to bring us into the 21st century.
As stated earlier, there is a need to level the playing field making our region attractive for investors and economic development. We must not deny technology access based upon where we live. We take electricity, water and phone service for granted in our homes. We must have the same expectations for broadband. To survive, technology needs to be here for us today.
WPA--Works Progress Administration*
SSA--Social Security Act (now Social Security Administration)
NRLA--National Labor Relations Act*
AAA--Agricultural Adjustment Agency*
FERA--Federal Emergency Relief Agency*
CCC--Civilian Conservation Corps*
NRA--National Recovery Administration*
TVA--Tennessee Valley Authority
REA--Rural Electrical Administration
FCC--Federal Communications Commission
www--World Wide Web
*Agencies no longer existing or absorbed into other federal programs

Sue Crites Szostak has been the director of the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library since 2013. She got her first library card at the Poplar Bluff library and did her internship there as well. She has worked in libraries for 43 years. Contact her at: szostak@poplarbluff.org