Library system gets grants for five projects

The Library Services and Technology Act will fund five projects within the Eastern Shores Library System in 2010.

Mead Public Library will use $4,500 of LSTA funding to continue its project of digitizing historic records by converting select volumes of city directories from the years of 1884-1905 to digital format.

ESLS will receive $39,500 to fund four additional projects.

Eastern Shores will use $11,300 from the library system technology category to continue to provide funding for ESLS’s share of the total telecommunications costs from TEACH. The grant will also pay for part of the cost of the system’s member libraries’ TEACH line to the BadgerNew WAN.

A license for GoToWebinar software will be purchased with $1,000 of LSTA funds. This software will allow libraries to participate in regional or statewide meetings or workshops by using VoIP and integrated phone conferencing.

ESLS received $7,800 in the special needs — accessibility category. These funds will be used to assist Elkhart Lake and Lakeview (Random Lake) public libraries purchase and install electronic door openers and to provide 19” monitors for 10 libraries in ESLS.

Improving employment skills in ESLS was funded in the amount of $19,400. This project, part of the job search and employment support category, will involve creating a portable computer lab that will rotate among member libraries for job training workshops. Instructors from area technical colleges, UWSheboygan, Sheboygan County Job Center and local high school teachers will conduct the workshops.

The lab will consist of five laptop computers and a projector. In addition to the portable lab, this grant will provide a subscription to the LearningExpress Library database. The subscription will include the basic component, the writing improvement program and the computer skills tutorials.