Grant supports digital access project at Joyner Library

The State Library Division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources announced today an award of $104,719 to Joyner Library at East Carolina University for the third year of the “Ensuring Democracy Through Digital Access Project.”
One of 123 projects selected, the Joyner Library project provides online access to 360,000 pages of historical materials offering a view of the state’s development in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The funding was made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant-making agency.
North Carolina is one of no more than 10 states that disseminate at least 50% of federal library funds through competitive grants to local libraries. The remaining 50% of the funding is directed to statewide programs and resources that benefit all libraries, such as the popular “NCpedia.”
In spite of a reduction of 14% of federal funds in 2010-11, North Carolina’s State Library continued this program.
“Federal grants awarded by the State Library to public, academic, school and community college libraries are critical during this time when libraries across the state are pinched for dollars, facing shrinking budgets but increased demand,” said State Librarian Mary Boone.
A complete list of awards is available at  http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/lsta/AwardsList11-12.htm.