Call your state Board of Public Utilties and see what discount they expect to obtain from telephone companies for schools and libraries under FCC regulations. You want to know this before you talk to the phone company in your area. Check with your cable company and to all telephone companies who serve your area. If you are starting new get at least a single PC with 16 MB memory, a 90 mhz processor and 28.8 modem for Internet access. If you plan to network your access across several machines, plan for that now.
False economies end by being expensive in the long run.
A high speed modem pays for itself in weeks, in reduced time online and improved access. The smaller your institution and budget, the more you will get from Internet access. You can search US law online, get students current information on shuttle flights , find the latest US National Institute of Health information on cancer treatments for patrons. There is an entire social studies curriculum to be made just at the Institute for Global Communication . We have found overseas information for local businesses and helped patrons determine the costs of accepting a job in another city, on the Internet.