North Carolina State Library Announces $2.2 Million in Grants for Books, Outreach, Technology

June 14, 2011 - PRLog -- SNOW HILL, N.C. – N.C. Department of Cultural Resources Secretary Linda A. Carlisle announced today that the State Library Division of the Department of Cultural Resources is awarding $2.2 million in federally funded grants for 123 local and statewide library projects for community outreach, library book collections, technology improvements and digitization of materials.  

“As North Carolinians turn to their libraries for help doing job searches and for summertime reading, this federal investment will help libraries maintain their collections and provide the service and technology so important today,” Carlisle said in an announcement at  the Greene County Public Library.

The grant funding is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal grant-making agency.

North Carolina is one of no more than 10 states that disseminate at least 50% of federal library funds through competitive grants to local libraries.  The remaining 50% of the funding is directed to statewide programs and resources that benefit all libraries, such as the popular “NCpedia.” In spite of a reduction of 14% of federal funds in 2010-11, North Carolina’s State Library continued this program.    

“Federal grants awarded by the State Library to public, academic, school and community college libraries are critical during this time when libraries across the state are pinched for dollars, facing shrinking budgets but increased demand,” said State Librarian Mary Boone.  “Patrons who live in areas hit by the April tornadoes will be able to use computers at libraries to apply for FEMA funds, which are only available online.”

The LSTA grants are awarded in response to specific needs of public, academic, school and community college libraries.  

Highlights of grants include:
•  $25,000 to the Neuse Regional Library, matched by $8,750 in local funds, for 20 computers to replace and expand upon outdated hardware at one of its branches, the Greene County Public Library.
•  $8,000 to the Pender County Public Library, matched by $2,000 in local funds, to purchase more than 800 books as part of its Early Literacy Outreach service.
•  $104,719 to Joyner Library at East Carolina University, matched by $10,472 for the third year of the “Ensuring Democracy Through Digital Access” project, which will provide online access to 360,000 pages of historical materials that will offer a view of the development of the state in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  The material will be used to develop an interactive collection Web site.  Classroom activities using the materials will also be developed by teachers, and made available online.
•  $20,000 to the Greensboro Public Library, matched by $10,000 in local funds, to continue the Teen Leadership Project, which engages local teens in leadership experiences, skill building workshops, job explorations sessions and creative expression opportunities.
•  $19,451 to Buncombe County Public Libraries, matched locally by $4,862, will allow an upgrade for the library’s wireless server, which will increase the number of concurrent users, and help eliminate the need to provide additional hard-wired public Internet work stations.

The complete list of awards can be found online at  http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/lsta/AwardsList11-12.htm .

Administered by the State Library, the Library Services and Technology Act state-based grant program funds projects across the state that enrich the lives of North Carolinians through enhanced and targeted programs and services in libraries, information for lifelong learning, and improving equal access to 21st-century library service.  LSTA is managed by IMLS, which is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, visit www.imls.gov.

For more information about the State Library of North Carolina’s LSTA program, contact Raye Oldham at (919) 807-7423. The State Library’s LSTA Web site is at http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/lsta/lsta.htm .  

The State Library of North Carolina is a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. Information on Cultural Resources is available 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

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The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources is the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities, and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural and economic future. www.ncculture.com