The State Library of North Carolina announced the 2016-2017 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant awards to local library branches across North Carolina.

Catawba College’s Corriher-Linn-Black Library received a $17,382 EZ Literacy and Lifelong Learning grant. Cabarrus County Public Library received the same grant in the amount of $27,468.

Davie County Public Library received a $22,735 EZ Planning grant.

These federal funds are investments that help libraries deliver relevant and up-to-date services to their communities. LSTA funds are used to meet the needs of children, parents, teenagers, adult learners and senior citizens through services and programs including computer instruction, homework centers, literacy programs, digitization of special collections, access to e-books and adaptive technology, bookmobile service, and development of outreach programs.

“North Carolina libraries change lives through collections, programs and services targeted to the specific requirements of each local community,” said North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) Secretary Susan Kluttz. The State Library of North Carolina is a division of NCDNCR.

This year’s federal allotment of $4.2 million will support library programs and services in response to specific needs of public, academic, and community college libraries as identified in North Carolina LSTA Five Year Plan.

The 48 awards to local libraries are for projects that:

• advance literacy and lifelong learning;
• expand access to library resources and expertise;
• promote partnerships and collaboration; and
• digitize materials important to the cultural heritage of North Carolina.

The needs of North Carolina’s current and future local workforce are also supported with these funds by offering programs, services and support to the unemployed and under-employed, as well as the business community.

In addition, library services for underserved communities and persons having difficulty using a library, specifically the blind and physically handicapped, have been supported by approximately 10 percent of grant funds in recent years.

To find out more about how funds are used in North Carolina, visit the state profile page.