Cleveland County Library System gets grant for mobile library
A federal grant will allow the Cleveland County Library System to better reach people who currently do not live near a public library.
The library system was awarded a $100,000 grant for a mobile library by The Library Services and Technology Act.
Wright Adams, library director, estimates at least a quarter of Cleveland County residents do not live within five to seven miles of a public library.
"We currently only have two branch locations. There is a lot of ground that is not that close to a library," he said. “What the library seeks to address is to close that gap so folks can have the library services.”
Once acquired, the mobile library will offer a scaled back version of what is already found in the brick and mortar libraries in Shelby and Lawndale. Visitors to the mobile library will be able to check out books, connect to the internet via Wi-Fi and take classes hosted by the library.
"It would be on the road at least four days a week. Our hope is to get it and have it on the road by fall 2023," said Adams. "We will have some programming, a mobile maker space cart so we can have some events like that.”
The Cleveland County Library System will be seeking input and interest from community partners as it builds its bookmobile schedule in advance of a projected Fall 2023 start of the mobile library service.
To help cover additional costs with buying and launching the mobile library, the Friends of the Cleveland County Library System has a fundraising campaign.
Donations to the campaign can be mailed by check to Friends of the Library PO Box 3043, Shelby N.C. 28151 or made online via PayPal to friendsofccl81@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Cleveland County to get mobile library in 2023
