08/12/2026
More Than a Connection: Why Internet Access at DeMary Memorial Library Matters
For many of us, having a computer and reliable internet at home is something we rarely think twice about. But here in the Mini-Cassia area, there are more people than you might expect who do not have that access at home.
For them, DeMary Memorial Library is more than a place to check out books. It is a place to connect.
It is where someone can sit down at a computer to build a resume, search for a job, fill out an application, or take the next step toward a better opportunity. It is where a parent can access information they need for their family. It is where a young teenager can finish homework after school, complete online assignments, or work on the requirements they need for 4-H and fair week. It's where college students come to study, and where Zoom doctor's appointments are held.
These aren't conveniences. For many people, they are necessities.
Nearly every library and school in Idaho relies on the federal E-Rate program to help provide the high-speed internet that makes these services possible. E-Rate is funded through fees on phone and internet services, not local tax dollars, and it helps ensure that libraries and schools can provide reliable connectivity to the people who need it.
The FCC is currently considering changes that could significantly reduce or even eventually end the E-Rate program. If that funding disappears, libraries and schools could be forced to make difficult choices: spend more of their limited budgets simply keeping the internet running, or reduce other programs and services that our communities rely on.
At DeMary Memorial Library, internet access isn't just about Wi-Fi or computers.
It's about opportunity.
It's the opportunity to apply for a job.
It's the opportunity to finish an assignment.
It's the opportunity to complete a 4-H project.
It's the opportunity to learn, grow, and participate in a world that increasingly requires an internet connection.
For the people who don't have internet at home, the library is the connection.
And keeping that connection available means keeping the door open for everyone in our community.
We Need Your Voice
If you have ever used the internet at your local library, or know someone who depends on it, we encourage you to take a few minutes and speak up.
Tell the FCC why libraries and schools NEED E-Rate funding to keep providing Wi-Fi and internet access to their communities.
Your story matters. Tell them what internet access at DeMary Memorial Library means to the people of Mini-Cassia. Tell them about the job seeker writing a resume, the student finishing homework, the 4-H member completing a project, the college student studying, or the community member who simply doesn't have internet at home.
Real stories from our communities can help show why this funding still matters.
๐ Leave your comment here:
libraries.idaho.gov/e-rate-comments/
It doesn't have to be long or complicated. Just tell your story and explain why keeping affordable, reliable internet available at our libraries and schools matters to you and our community.
Because internet access isn't just about being connected to the internet. It's about keeping our community connected to opportunity.
