LSTA Highlight: Craven-Pamlico Regional Library
Every other month we showcase a LSTA grant project from a North Carolina library. This month we are featuring a conversation with grant project manager Sidney Phibbons, Branch Manager of Pamlico County Public Library apart of the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library, on the creation of the Maribelle Hollowell Annex.
Interested in learning more about LSTA grant opportunities? Check out the bottom of this post.
Project Abstract
Craven-Pamlico Regional Library (CPRL) in collaboration with Heartworks, a non-profit afterschool care facility, broke down barriers to literacy in rural Pamlico County by creating a safe, welcoming, vibrant, and accessible library space (Maribelle Hollowell Annex) in the Heartworks building. The Maribelle Hollowell Annex has developmentally appropriate and culturally-inclusive collection and offers programs focused on encouraging reading, overcoming barriers, surviving tragedies, promoting self esteem, and personal growth for preschool through 8th grade. Technology, (hotspots, iPads and Chromebooks) are also available for circulation. The annex joins CPRL in sharing resources and collections in Craven and Pamlico County not only supporting access, but lifelong learning.
How did the idea for the Maribelle Hollowell Annex come about?
The idea for the Maribelle Hollowell Annex was sparked by a series of collaborative conversations with Dr. Sue Lee, the founder of the Heartworks which is aa grant funded after-school facility. Dr. Susan Lee, advocate for libraries, expressed her desire for the children who attend Heartworks to have access more literary resources and she was concern that these children had limited access to reading materials. After the discussion, I wanted to learn more about the usage of the library by the families and children participating at Heartworks. Months of personal research showed that only 10% of the students had library cards and only 5 % had used the library in the past year. This was a significant population of Pamlico County being underserved. A survey of the parents showed that the main reason for lack of library usage was threefold: lack of time (many worked several jobs) and transportation, lack of knowledge regarding libraries in general and what was available, and literacy being low [priority versus food and shelter.
Additional discussions with Dr. Lee and the Heartworks board and staff provided a contract for Heartworks to provide space and utilities and for CPRL to provide professional staff and resources. In addition, we were contacted by an Eagle Scout interested in doing a project with Craven-Pamlico Regional. When told about the future collaboration with Heartworks, the Eagle Scout jumped on board to provide volunteers and resources to update the facility provided – cleaning, painting, books, and purchasing a self-checkout machine.
What has been the impact of the Maribelle Hollowell Annex on your community and library?
The availability of library services at the Hollowell Annex has had a positive impact on the 250 students who attend HeartWorks each year, as well as their families. It has led to an increase in literacy rates, provided opportunities for access, and contributed to the development of life skills. Giving children the chance to access the library and be exposed to reading has resulted in creating a positive association with reading, ultimately improving their overall literacy skills. This, in turn, has had a positive impact on their test scores, school performance, and the development of invaluable life skills.
The staff at this facility work hard to ensure that children develop life skills through library utilization, such as finding information and learning how to responsibly borrow and return library materials. This positively impacts not only the children, but also their families, as opportunities for library access extend to them. Many people learn about library services through their children's exposure at this facility.
What are your future plans for the Maribelle Hollowell Annex?
We aim to provide programs that enhance the lives of the children who regularly visit the facility, while also creating opportunities for outreach to involve their parents and families.
We plan in the future to develop programs focused on not only literacy but library skills. When children learn how to locate information, discover what they enjoy reading, and how to find it in a library, the impact will extend throughout their lives.
This annex will enable the Pamlico County Library to continue providing essential services and resources that the community relies on, as we transition to our new standalone facility, rather than closing during this period.
A future goal is also to expand use of the facility by patrons not associated with Heartworks with programming during hours that the students are not in the facility.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Library skills do not always come easily to those who have not been exposed to a public library or may have other challenges such as living between multiple homes. We are coming up with creative ways to address issues such as lost and damaged materials such as our 'book swap' program. Community members donate used books to the Friends of the Library and instead of selling all these books, the Friends of the Library have allocated around 50% of these donations to the ‘book swap’ program. Thanks to the 'book swap' program, children with outstanding fines or damaged materials are able to maintain access to library resources and every child who visits the facility leaves with a book to read and are encouraged to use the library.
Originally, CPRL had planned to supplement staff at the Hollowell Annex with volunteers but we quickly discovered that the children required a consistent/connection to staff to feel safe and secure in their use of the library. CPRL took on the initiative to budget professional staff to allow bonding and building strong relationships with the children and their families. In addition, emotional labor and stress are higher in this environment than in a regular branch as the majority of the population struggles with food insecurities and financial issues, and many of the children need additional social and emotional reassurance.
Learn more about LSTA grant opportunities and guidelines by visiting our website. Additional questions can be sent to Catherine Prince, Federal Programs Consultant.
LSTA grant awards are made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. LSTA grants are awarded in response to specific needs of public, academic and community college libraries. These federal funds are investments that help libraries deliver relevant and up-to-date services to their communities.
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