• Sumter County Library awarded prestigious grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services

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    Feb 13 2019 Sumter County Library Make Station 7

    Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the South Carolina State Library (SCSL), the Sumter County Library will be offering a wide variety of craft and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs to people of all ages.

    To make this possible, the Friends of the Sumter County Library furnished a Make Station room on the third floor of the Main Library that is specially designed to promote crafting, creating, collaborating, tinkering, and innovating.

    There are several Make Station crafting programs available to adults. The library has partnered with the Sumter Shepherd’s Center to conduct monthly craft classes, and there are also monthly classes that are free and available to the general public. Crafty Folk takes place on the first Thursday of the month from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Make Station room at the Main Library. Crafters can bring their in-progress crafts and socialize and share ideas. The library will also offer a Saturday Crafternoon class on the first Saturday of the month from 4 to 5 p.m.

    No experience is necessary, and a different craft will be taught each month. Please call 803-773-7273 to find out if registration is necessary.

    There are also programs for children and teens in the Make Station. We have partnered with the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club to provide regular STEM programming, and the library will also offer monthly activities that are open to the general public. The Tech Playground program in particular, geared towards students ages 8 to 16, is a great opportunity for youth to experiment with the library’s tech toys, such as Snap Circuit kits, STEM engineering kits, computer coding, and even LEGO robots.

    For more information about the Make Station at the Sumter County Library, please contact Christy Smith at 803-773-7273.

    The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.

     The South Carolina State Library is the primary administrator of federal and state support for the state’s libraries. The State Library is a national model for innovation, collaboration, leadership and effectiveness. The State Library’s mission is to optimize South Carolina’s investment in library and information services. In 1969, as the result of an action by the General Assembly, the State Library Board was redesignated as the South Carolina State Library and assumed responsibility for public library development, library service for state institutions, service for the blind and physically handicapped, and library service to state government agencies. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., the Library is funded by the state of South Carolina, by the federal government through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other sources. For more information, please visit www.statelibrary.sc.gov or call 803-734-8666.

    Feb 13 2019 Sumter County Library Make Station 3