CURRENT POSITION State E-rate Coordinator, Kentucky Department For Libraries and Archives DEGREE MSLS, University of Kentucky, 2011 FOLLOW X: @KDLALibDev; Facebook: KDLALibDev Photo by Michael A. Foley

E-Rate Guru

Under Lauren Abner’s guidance, E-Rate participation levels and funding commitments to Kentucky libraries have risen to record highs, with the number of participating libraries in the state increasing from an average of 67 between 1998 and 2014 to an average of 99 each year from 2015 to 2022. One director who wrote in support of her nomination described her as “The Guru.” Another wrote “we’d be lost without her!”

For many libraries and K–12 schools, E-Rate is a vital source of funding for broadband services and network equipment. However, the application process is complex and can be intimidating, especially for small libraries that stand to benefit most from the federal program. Abner hosts webinars and in-person training events and gives presentations at major conferences, but much of her work involves hands-on, one-on-one meetings providing assistance on Zoom or in person, walking directors and library staff through the process of applying for E-Rate discounts and reimbursements.

Abner is modest, joking that “I am quite proudly a paper-pushing bureaucrat,” but says “it’s a good feeling when you take that library that wasn’t sure about doing this process at all, and then we get them to the point [of] smooth sailing with their connections and their discounts. Even though sometimes, with the filing window, I feel desperately tired and stressed…when we see those positive changes, it is all worth it in the end.”

In 2021, her knowledge and work led to her appointment as vice chair of the American Library Association’s E-Rate Task Force; last year, she became chair.

“Lauren has the unique ability to understand very complex and nuanced rules and procedures and then turn around and explain those procedures to others,” says Kentucky State Librarian and Commissioner Denise Lyons, who nominated Abner. “That is a rare gift.”