Strengthening Communities Through Libraries grant awarded to Roselle Public Library District

The Roselle Public Library District is among 14 other libraries across the United States to receive the 2019 Strengthening Communities Through Libraries mini-grant in the amount of $5,000 from the Association for Library Service to Children.

The grant funds will be used to purchase the library's first 3-D printer, as well as supplies and accessories.

The new device will be a focus point for the library to encourage the Roselle community, youth in particular, to learn about this exciting technology and use it to design and create at their public library.

The grant will enable the Roselle Public Library to begin new outreach initiatives for students at area schools.

Beginning in March, educators at area schools will work with librarians to promote in-library 3-D printing classes for students in fourth to sixth grade.

At Spring Wood Middle School, 3-D printing lessons provided by librarians will be integrated into a pre-existing after-school program.

This will eliminate the need to make a special trip to the library for students who might be unable to do so.

The grant proposal was written by Kristen Lawson, youth services department manager of Roselle Public Library District, who will oversee the project which will involve staff across Youth, Teen, and Adult Services.

Roselle is a village of 23,000 residents located in the suburbs of Chicago.

The $5,000 minigrant is a distribution of a Youth Literacy grant provided to the Association for Library Service to Children by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to help libraries provide out-of-school time STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) learning for children.

The Association for Library Services to Children is a division of the American Library Association. The association is the world's largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children.