Westfield Washington Public Library
333 West Hoover St. Westfield Indiana 46074
317.896.9391 phone | 317.896.3702 fax

LSTA Grant 2011

Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Westfield Washington Public Library was able to purchase two new internet computer stations for our Children's Department. They are loaded with educational games and a child-friendly, safe internet browser. This internet browser software is available to our patrons to install on their home computers. We will also be conducting a program to teach children how to make safe decisions online.

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) was signed into law September 30, 1996 as part of the Museum and Library Services Act. As a result, federal LSTA funds are distributed from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to states for the purposes of increasing the use of technology in libraries, fostering better resource sharing among libraries, and targeting library services to special populations. The portion of the grant we recieved is administered by the Indiana State Library (ISL).

WWPL will be using the LSTA grant funds to help meet the following need from Indiana's Five-Year Plan: "The academic success of Indiana's students and knowledge of its citizens in general can be strengthened by supporting electronic information resources, including statewide access to electronic databases, and resource sharing." The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums.