The Emporia Public Library hopes to break ground on a new resource later this year.
Library Director Pauline Stacchini recently announced the pending construction of a Zoom room in the library on Monday. The Zoom room’s construction is being made possible by a recent Digital Opportunities Connecting Kansans (DOCK) grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce.
The Zoom room will be a dedicated space for patrons to utilize for meetings, telehealth appointments, court appearances, etc. Stacchini says the library has been able to offer spaces for such purposes in the past, however, it is nowhere near the level the Zoom room would provide.
The DOCK grant is bringing more than $87,000 to the library of which the furnishings and equipment for the room would cost roughly $5,000 based on previous estimates. Other dollars will be put towards updating the library’s server which is nearing its end of life.
Stacchini says the Zoom room will not be the only benefit from the grant as those dollars will also be used to help “subsidize” a new digital experience librarian position.
Other additions through the grant will include programming, workshops, training and enhanced resources. Stacchini tells KVOE News they plan to begin work on the Zoom room sometime this coming winter.
