Durham County Library Awarded Grant from State Library of North Carolina

Durham, NC — On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the State Library of North Carolina announced the distribution of over $2.5 million in grant funds authorized by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Durham County Library’s Maker + STEAM unit received approximately $40,000 in grant funds that will go to support the expansion of the unit’s outreach capacity and technology offerings.

Included in the grant are funds to purchase an updated laser cutter, mobile battery banks to support offsite programming, and 3D scanners. The Maker + STEAM unit will develop the necessary trainings for the new equipment and plans to work with local organizations to ensure equitable access to these cutting-edge technologies.

“Many of the items purchased with this grant would be prohibitively expensive for a single individual to purchase,” said Caroline Flory, Maker + STEAM librarian and the grant’s project manager. “The State Library’s support empowers us to increase accessibility and encourage information literacy by offering these innovative technologies for free to Durham County Library card holders and our outreach partners.”

Deputy Director Stephanie Fennell also expressed her excitement for the possibilities this grant will make available to the Durham community. “Our hardworking programmers go above and beyond to make cutting-edge technology available to everyone. I can’t wait to see how the community uses this new tech.”

New Maker + STEAM programs and technologies will become available for public use later this year. For more information on Maker + STEAM services, please visit the unit’s webpage. This grant is 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 Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-256834-OLS-24).

About Durham County Library

Durham County Library encourages discovery, connects the community, and leads in literacy. As a department of Durham County Government, the library furthers Goal 1 of the county’s Strategic Plan by enhancing cultural, educational, and creative opportunities. For more information about the library, visit DurhamCountyLibrary.org.