Hege Library Awarded Federal Grant for Technology
Guilford’s Hege Library has been awarded a $64,791 grant to create technology-enabled collaborative learning spaces to foster student engagement among library users.
The funds were awarded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Sciences under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered by the State Library of North Carolina. The institute invests federal funds in libraries to help them deliver relevant and up-to-date services for their communities.
At Hege Library, the LSTA grant will furnish four new group study rooms with technology for collaborative learning. It will expand the number of workstations in the library’s ePortfolio Design Lab, where students build digital portfolios of academic work and co-curricular experiences as part of the Guilford Connects program, a key provision of the College’s strategic plan.
“This grant will fill a known need for spaces equipped with technology to allow students to work together,” said Library Director Leah Dunn. “Student engagement is a critical part of both the strategic long-range plan and the College’s campaign, and this space will go a long way in supporting that engagement.”
Hege Library received one of the 112 competitive grants for fiscal year 2011-12 awarded to North Carolina libraries from this year’s federal allotment of $4,160,471. The LSTA grant program, administered by the State Library of North Carolina, funds projects across the state.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. Through the LSTA Grants to States program, IMLS provides funds to State Library agencies using a population-based formula. State libraries may use the appropriation to support statewide initiatives and services; they may also distribute the funds through competitive subgrants to public, academic, school, special and research libraries.
