The NEFLIN Board of Directors has awarded the following libraries Innovation Project funding.
Clay County Public Library: Innovation Lab
Award Amount: $7,940.51
The Innovation Lab will be a fabrication lab headquartered in our Orange Park Branch. This lab will include things like Dremels, sewing machines, and tabletop engravers. Along with the physical space at Orange Park, we will also develop a mobile lab curriculum to bring the Innovation Lab to our other county branches. This project not only brings new and exciting equipment to our county, but it also gives the library a chance to build the skills of our patrons, which we hope they will use to better our community.
Columbia County Public Library: RadLABS (Learning Activity Based Science)
Award Amount: $9,649.81
This project will create a mobile makerspace for Columbia County Public Library. While the Library does not have a permanent location that it can dedicate to a makerspace, we would still like to be able to provide the maker experience to our community. Equipment, robots, building materials, and supplies can be used by patrons of all ages and skill levels, and will be used to create an environment that can serve as a creative outlet, a hands-on STEM lab, a resource for educational and personal projects, and a source for new programming.
Florida State College – Jacksonville: Enhancing Student Success Through VR Support
Award Amount: $7,182.00
The NEFLIN Innovation Project will help Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) improve student success by allowing the library to circulate virtual reality (VR) headsets which provide access to educational VR content. The library will maintain and circulate the VR equipment; train users in safe operations; and create, organize, and publish VR content that supports innovation in teaching and learning. This project supports acquisition of 18 Oculus Quest VR headsets that function wirelessly within FSCJ’s libraries and classrooms. For the first time, FSCJ students will be able to access VR content proven to improve student engagement and success!
Jacksonville Public Library: JPL Learning Services Inclusive Library – Sharing Social Stories
Award Amount: $9,999.68
The Jacksonville Public Library seeks to make our library more welcoming to individuals with sensory processing disorders, autism and other special needs. Currently, an estimated 1 in 59 people are diagnosed with autism in the United States. While the library is open to all, it is not always equipped to handle the needs of all. We would create sensory kits for each of the 21 libraries, hire a photographer to create social stories for each of the libraries, and a consulting group to evaluate current spaces and programs and offer staff training to better serve customers with special needs.
Jacksonville University: Info-To-Go. Golf Cart Pop-up Reference and Outreach in a Small Liberal Arts Institution.
Award Amount: $8,500.00
Info-To-Go, is designed to bring the impact, resources, and expertise of the library to the point of student need. Jacksonville University’s campus is large, and growing with new academic programs and building projects. Librarians will expand their presence to dorms, common buildings, and events using a specialized golf cart and tablet to reach students who may never come to the physical library. Pop-up reference, roaming book drops, mobile resources, and a greater campus presence will increase student-librarian interactions, opportunities to teach research skills, and remove barriers to full utilization of library resources.
University of Florida: Finding a Sustainable Solution for 3D Printing Waste
Award Amount: $6,728.00
The project proposes to develop a 3D plastic waste recycling program using a Filabot EX2 extruder system. Many college and public libraries offer their patrons 3D printing services, however, failed prints generate substantial amounts of waste plastic that is simply discarded. Through this grant project the team will explore a more sustainable alternative that recycles the waste PLA into 3D filament for use in new 3D prints. Exploring the feasibility of recycling waste 3D filament supports our goal to provide outreach and materials to libraries with 3D printing capabilities that wish to make their 3D printing service more sustainable.
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2018 Innovation Project: List of Projects Awarded Funding
2015 Innovation Project: List of Projects Awarded Funding