State library announces federal grants to local libraries
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The State Library of North Carolina announces the 2021-2022 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awardees. This year's $4,843,343 federal allotment will be distributed on behalf of North Carolina's libraries through programs and services available under the North Carolina LSTA Five Year Plan. The 47 awards go to local library projects that:
Strengthen Capacity;
Expand Access; and
Engage Communities.
Catawba County Library will create a “Library Outpost,” hosted at a local laundromat and open seven days a week. The Outpost will be equipped with a remote locker system and laptop computers, providing convenient free access to empowering library resources.
Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library’s "Take the Library Outside" project offers a safe outdoor opportunity to learn, move and engage for all ages and all abilities. This audio-included story trail, located at Riverside Park in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, will bring the library outside and encourage social, emotional, literacy, and gross motor development for all ages.
Fayetteville State University’s Curriculum Learning Resource Laboratory’s “Desert to Treasures” project is developing a program that models literacy experiences and fosters a love of reading for students in underserved communities.
Neuse Regional Libraries “Our Stories” project will promote a love of reading and health literacy by helping local students create stories that are representative of Greene, Lenoir, and Jones counties diverse communities. A digital story platform will help children develop original stories that will be illustrated by teens in a mentoring program and by local artists.
These grant awards are made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-249980-OLS-21).
LSTA grants are awarded in response to specific needs of public, academic, and community college libraries. These federal funds are investments that help libraries deliver relevant and up-to-date services to their communities.
A full list of awardees appears at: https://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/services-libraries/grants-libraries/lsta-grant-information.
About the State Library of North Carolina
The State Library enriches the lives of North Carolinians through access to information resources, strengthens communities through exceptional library services, and inspires and supports literacy and lifelong learning for all North Carolinians. The Library Development section helps North Carolina Libraries serve their communities by providing consulting services, supporting continuing education opportunities, and administering grant programs, including the Aid to Public Libraries fund that supports public libraries serving all 100 NC counties. The Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped circulates books and magazines especially made for persons who cannot use regular printed material because of a visual or physical disability. The Government & Heritage Library provides library materials and services to support state employees, family history researchers, educators and students, and those interested in North Carolina culture and history.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.
