New educational technology at The Indianapolis Public Library will help young children become successful learners thanks to grants from The Library Fund, a fund of The Indianapolis Foundation.
In support of the Library’s privately-funded Ready to Read initiative, AWE early learning computers along with associated furnishings are being installed this year at all 23 Indianapolis Public Library locations. The computer stations feature up to 50 educational software programs in seven curricular areas that provide a self-directed experience and help children discover how to learn. Five libraries will receive bilingual AWE computers along with their English versions.
“The new AWE Early Learning Stations are an exciting addition to the Library system,” stated Abby Brown, the Library’s Early Learning Specialist. “These systems are unique in that they allow for child-directed learning, but also encourage parent participation. They provide a fun and interactive way for young children to pick up some of the skills that are essential for success in kindergarten.”
The AWE computers are made possible from separate grants totaling over $110,000 from The Library Fund to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. Another Library Fund grant of $100,000 will be used to add over 5,800 eBook titles to the Library’s downloadable collection to meet increased patron demand. There are currently over 35,000 Library eBooks available for free downloading. In 2011, patrons downloaded over 122,000 free Library eBooks, compared to just over 23,000 in 2010.
Additional grants from The Library Fund will help underwrite the Library’s Live Homework Help online service for students, legal materials at Central Library, selected books in the Young Hoosier Book Award program, updates to the Library’s storytelling collection, technology for the Media Lab in the Learning Curve for children and teens at Central Library, digitization of Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce newsletters and preservation of three Central Library historic photographs.
The nine Library Fund grants to The Indianapolis Public Library total over $364,000.
To learn more about these and other Library initiatives, visit www.imcpl.org.
