It’s good news when you receive the following message in your email inbox: “Congratulations! Your Library Services and Technology Act Grant application has been approved!” It is especially nice when you receive that message twice! Robeson County Public Library will be receiving LSTA Grants in the following categories, EZ Planning — Strategic/Long-Range Plan, and EZ Strengthening Public and Academic Library Collections.

The Library Services and Technology Act provides grant money through the Institute of Museum and Library Services to state library administrative agencies. In addition to funding library initiatives statewide, the State Library of North Carolina administers a competitive grant program to fund special projects for public, academic and community college libraries throughout the state. Library Services and Technology Act funds must be used for the specific projects described in the grant and cannot replace local funds.

Robeson County Public Library will receive $20,000 to complete a Five Year Strategic Plan. Strategic planning will help the director, the board of trustees, community stake holders, library staff and affiliated library managers develop a library program that best meets the needs of our communities. As a result of the project, I hope to achieve a greater number of county residents using the library, more community involvement in library programming and activities, stronger participation in library use by ethnic and minority community members, increased numbers of children served by story time programs, and literacy programming for older children and adults.

Robeson County Public Library was awarded $20,000 in the Library Services and Technology Act funding to be matched with $5,000 of local funds to upgrade and update our nonfiction collections for both children and adults. The Library Services and Technology Act funds will enable the library system to purchase basic up-to-date reference materials to support the educational needs of students in kindergarten through 12th grade and to provide accurate and timely information for our adult residents on a range of topics. Our focus is to provide basic print reference materials in all branches, create a career resource center in the main library and to update both adult and juvenile nonfiction collections to the extent of our funds.

Libraries are essential in connecting citizens with a wealth of information far beyond the scope of resources that could be collected by any one individual or entity. Your libraries are made possible by the support of city, county, state and, through LSTA grants, and federal funding sources as well. Please visit your local library this week.

Catie Roche is the director of the Robeson County Library. You can reach her at croche@robesoncountylibrary.org. She is reading “The Bird Sisters” by Rebecca Rasmussen.