The State Library of North Carolina proudly announces the SLNC CARES Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awardees. The 39 awards, totaling nearly $870,000, support local library projects across North Carolina that target high need communities to address digital inclusion, expand digital network access, purchase internet accessible devices, and provide related technical support in response to the coronavirus.
These grants will help students, families, and job seekers through such projects as establishing community technology hubs in areas served by Avery-Mitchell-Yancey Regional Library, providing devices and information literacy and searching skills instruction to children of migrant farmworkers through East Carolina University’s Laupus Health Sciences Library, and creating digital literacy training opportunities to assist in workforce readiness to residents served by Roanoke-Chowan Community College and their grant partner Albemarle Regional Library.
“The shift to learning and working online to help limit the spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the increased challenges for those without access to technology and internet resources,” said Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which oversees the State Library. “Our local libraries work tirelessly to bridge that gap and provide vital technology services to their patrons. I am proud that the State Library is able to assist them in that effort through this grant program.”
The State Library received funding to support this grant program as part of the federal government’s investment in museums and libraries through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided additional funds to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to address the digital divide during the COVID-19 pandemic. These grant awards are made possible under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-246551-OLS-20).
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/ld/resources/lsta-grants#slnc-cares
About the State Library of North Carolina
The State Library of North Carolina builds the capacity of libraries across the state, develops and supports access to genealogy and other specialized collections, and provides resources for the blind and physically handicapped.