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.