North Carolina awards nearly $2.8 million in library grants; Brunswick and Pender counties receive funding

RAELIGH, NC (WWAY) — 46 libraries and library organizations across North Carolina will share nearly $2.8 million in federal grant funding to expand services, improve access, preserve historical collections, and launch new community programs.

The Library of North Carolina, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), announced Wednesday that it has awarded $2,785,339 through the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The grants support projects that advance the state’s goals of community engagement, expanded access, and responsive library services.

“We are proud to support communities across North Carolina through their libraries with these grants,” said DNCR Secretary Pam Cashwell. “From literacy initiatives to digital access, document preservation to health programming, these projects reflect the range of needs today’s libraries meet in their communities.”

Local libraries receive funding

Among the grant recipients are libraries serving southeastern North Carolina.

The Brunswick County Library received two separate awards totaling $29,100, including:

• $22,027
• $7,073

The Pender County Library was awarded $10,000.

The funding will help libraries strengthen services, improve public access to resources, and support programs tailored to community needs.

Supporting libraries across North Carolina

Projects funded through this year’s grants reflect the evolving role of libraries as community hubs.

Among the initiatives:

• BHM Regional Library will launch a mobile pop-up library van to reach residents in Beaufort, Hyde, and Martin counties, providing literacy programming, internet access, and library services to rural communities.
• Chatham County Public Libraries will establish a “Library of Things,” allowing patrons to borrow nontraditional items that encourage learning, creativity, and sustainability.
• Durham Technical Community College will expand its graphic novel collection while creating new programming and faculty workshops to incorporate graphic novels into classroom instruction.
• Western Carolina University will digitize the Hubert Hayes Mountain Youth Jamboree collection, preserving historic reel-to-reel recordings and making them freely available online.

State officials said the grants are designed to help libraries address community needs ranging from digital inclusion and literacy to historic preservation and lifelong learning.

The awards were made possible through funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Library of North Carolina.

A complete list of this year’s grant recipients is available on the Library of North Carolina’s website.