Library Improvement Grants Announced for 2016

Library Development Director Richard Miller announced today that 14 Nebraska libraries — 13 public libraries, and one state-run institutional library — would be receiving Library Improvement Grants this year.  These grants are funded with federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds made available through the Institute of Museum and Library and Services and administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.. The grant review team consisted of Scott Childers (Southeast Library System), and, from the Commission, Rod Wagner, Allana Novotny, Christa Burns, and Richard Miller. Here are the libraries,  brief descriptions of their projects, and grant amounts. For those libraries receiving grants for AWE Work Stations, the amounts of those grants are pending, to be determined following discussions with the company which sells these work stations. (Note: As with the last round of Youth Grants for Excellence, this will be the last year AWE Work Stations will be eligible grant projects under the Library Improvement Grants.) Axtell Public Library — Outdoor Movie Night — $2,013 Beaver City Public Library — AWE Work Station — TBD Blue Hill Public Library — Central Nebraska Digital Consortium membership; iPod Touch units — $636 Brunswick Public Library — CatExpress; two computers — in preparation for joining the Pioneer Consortium — $4,359 Fairbury Public Library — AWE Work Station — Spanish-Language — TBD Franklin Public Library — 2 computers; Pioneer Consortium membership preparation — $4,587 Fullerton Public Library — AWE Work Station — TBD Lincoln City Libraries — Mobile Maker Spaces — $6,721 McCook Public Library — Join Pioneer Consortium — $8,657 Norfolk Regional Center Patient Library — Creation of reading/learning nook for patients — $500 North Bend Public Library — Computer classes; author visits; storytelling; ADA Update — $3,920 Plainview Public Library — Computers; whiteboard; smart TV for new library building — $13,500 Springfield Memorial Library — Digitizing of historical photos; scanner; cart; camera kit — $2,670 Yutan Public Library — IPads; technology & social media training; Maker Space activities — $2,416 For questions concerning the Library Improvement Grants, please contact Richard Miller.