<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Century Gothic";
panose-1:2 11 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_6" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Logo, company name
Description automatically generated" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:141.1pt;height:131.75pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:margin;mso-height-relative:margin'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image006.jpg@01DA29E0.069B11D0" o:title="Logo, company name
Description automatically generated" />
<w:wrap type="square" side="left"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="188" height="176" style="width:1.9583in;height:1.8333in" src="cid:image008.jpg@01DA29EC.A9AF0050" align="right" hspace="12" alt="Logo, company name
Description automatically generated" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_6"><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">The
State Library of Ohio Board awarded $177,837 in LSTA Competitive Grants to three universities, one school, and two public libraries. Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding for the grants awarded at their December meeting is from the
<a href="https://www.imls.gov/" target="_blank">Institute of Museum and Library Services
</a>(IMLS).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">Eastern Local Schools</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"> and
<b>Hiram College</b> were awarded Ohio LSTA Competitive Grants in the category of Literacy. The purpose of the Literacy category is to support the library’s role in the development of learning and experiences where literacy is defined as the ability to read,
write and interact across a range of platforms and tools, and it encompasses early literacy, digital literacy, functional literacy, financial literacy, health literacy, and others.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">Otterbein University</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"> and
<b>Harris-Elmore Public Library</b> were awarded Ohio LSTA Competitive Grants in the category of Library as Community Anchor. The purpose of the Library as Community Anchor category is to support the role libraries play in strengthening their communities and
providing a destination for learning, engagement, social support and expression. This can include areas of employment-related help, economic development support, civic engagement, gathering spaces, and support for the mental health of those served.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">and
<b>Ohio Wesleyan University Library</b> were awarded Ohio LSTA Competitive Grants in the category of Outreach and Engagement. The purpose of Outreach and Engagement category is to assist libraries in providing new and innovative ways of offering services to
users and potential users and in reaching individuals at a range of locations and through a variety of methods, typically outside of the traditional library facility. Efforts may include reaching populations not otherwise served by the library and the establishment
of new or novel partnerships.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">"Ohio libraries once again demonstrated their excellence and ingenuity in this year’s LSTA Competitive Grant Program,” expressed State Librarian Wendy Knapp. “While
it is disappointing that we cannot fund every grant, the six libraries that will receive grants this year are a representation of the library landscape across the state, coming from different regions and types of libraries. The common thread of the role the
library plays for individuals wanting to grow their knowledge and/or skills will underpin each of the programs over the next eight months.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><a href="https://library.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/lib/libraries/grants/awarded-grants/awarded-competitive-grants">Read brief summaries of awarded grants</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="96" height="96" style="width:1.0in;height:1.0in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DA29DB.AD2B3E80"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002060;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Public Information Officer<br>
Director, Marketing & Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">State Library of Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">274 E. 1<sup>st</sup> Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Columbus, OH 43201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Tel: 614-644-6875<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#006666"><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/"><span style="color:#006666">library.ohio.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Find us on<b><i> </i></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/StateLibraryOhio"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="34" height="34" style="width:.3541in;height:.3541in" id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image002.png@01DA29DB.AD2B3E80" alt="Icon
Description automatically generated"></span></a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/statelibraryohio"><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="33" height="34" style="width:.3437in;height:.3541in" id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image003.png@01DA29DB.AD2B3E80" alt="Icon
Description automatically generated"></span></a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/stlibohio/"><span style="color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="34" height="34" style="width:.3541in;height:.3541in" id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:image004.png@01DA29DB.AD2B3E80" alt="Icon
Description automatically generated"></span></a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFiKVfM_fLdmNhXx7YXa70w"><span style="color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="34" height="33" style="width:.3541in;height:.3437in" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image005.png@01DA29DB.AD2B3E80" alt="A picture containing text, clipart
Description automatically generated"></span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/state-librarian/share-your-story" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:blue">Click here to</span></i></a><i>
</i><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/state-librarian/share-your-story" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:blue">Share Your Story</span></i></a><i> by telling us how a
</i> <br>
<i>State Library service or resource helped </i> <br>
<i>you or your library.</i> <br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>