Grace College & Seminary’s Morgan Library Awarded $17,000 ARPA Grant

The Morgan Library at Grace College & Seminary recently received a $17,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Indiana State Library. The money was given in support of the library’s latest project, “Connecting All Students,” which seeks to provide quality resources for those learning online. The funds were used to purchase the Image Access KIC Bookeye 5V2 overhead book scanner, which is a self-service scanning system that allows students and staff to scan and export content using an intuitive user interface.

“The KIC scanner will be a great support to many of the Library/Learning Center departments,” said Tonya Fawcett, Director of Library Services. “It will allow staff to provide scans of books only available via print on our shelves to our online students, and because of its ease of use, students can scan books, photos, class notes and newspapers as well. But most importantly, it provides access to resources our online learners would not otherwise have access to.”

According to Fawcett, the school’s Disabilities Services will use the scanner to convert text into mp3 files for students visually impaired. It has also come in handy for the Archives Department as they scan photos for Grace’s digital archive collection.

Scans taken with the Bookeye may be exported to various file formats, including PDF, JPG and MP3. The content can then be emailed or loaded onto a flash drive.

“We are so grateful for this new technology that’s taking our library services to the next level,” said Fawcett. “It’s all possible thanks to the generosity of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Indiana State Library.”

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. Its mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning and cultural and civic engagement.  For the past 20 years, its grant making, policy development and research has helped libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive.

To learn more about the Institute of Museum and Library Services, visit https://www.imls.gov/. Find out more about the Morgan Library at https://libguides.grace.edu/homepage.

Photo attached:  Tonya Fawcett, the director of library services at Grace College, shows student how to use the new Image Access KIC Bookeye 5V2 overhead book scanner at the Morgan Library.