State Library Announces Federal Grants to Local Libraries

The State Library of North Carolina announces the Community Partnerships for Literacy Mini-Grants. The eight awards totaling $65,982.00 go to local library projects that support the creation of literacy and learning centers in local community places. Libraries with community partners can establish an environment of familial and intergenerational learning in their communities.

Beaufort County Community College plans to partner with Open Door Women's Shelter to facilitate the establishment of a Navigation Room within the shelter. The Navigation Room will provide a private meeting space for residents to meet with social workers or case managers, for children to do homework, read, and play, allow for residents to work on resumes, job searches, or connect with family, and a space to offer enrichment classes. This multipurpose space aims to address the limited privacy within the living facility and empower families and individuals to access resources and progress toward independence.

The Davidson Literacy Center project is a collaboration with the Davidson County Department of Social Services and will provide furnishings, educational toys, and books to create two literacy centers located within Social Services. The centers will serve as visitation rooms for foster children and their families who need a comfortable, safe, and fun home-like environment to visit with each other, interact in a healthy manner, and build, rebuild, or sustain relationships. The books and educational toys will provide a way for family members to interact so that they connect and build literacy skills.

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-253645-OLS-23).

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#Tab-Mini-Grants-234

About the State Library of North Carolina
The State Library of North Carolina 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.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.