Pennsylvania Awards $243,000 to 26 Libraries
Pennsylvania's Department of Education distributed LSTA Action Grants to libraries across the state for community and digital access projects.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Financial Aid
The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded 26 libraries more than $243,000 in Library Services and Technology Act Action Grants. The Columbia County Traveling Library and the James V. Brown Library in Lycoming County were among the recipients.
Why it matters
The grants fund projects that strengthen library services, respond to local needs, deepen partnerships and build organizational capacity. For residents in communities served by these libraries, the awards support expanded access to programs, resources and digital tools.
The figures come from the Pa. Department of Education's list of LSTA Action Grant awardees, which caps each project at $10,000, with recipients such as the Columbia County Traveling Library receiving the full $10,000. The announcement does not specify how the funds will be disbursed or how project results will be measured.
The players
Pennsylvania Department of Education
The state agency that administers the Library Services and Technology Act Action Grants to libraries across Pennsylvania.
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The federal agency that provides the funding for the Library Services and Technology Act grants distributed by Pennsylvania.
Columbia County Traveling Library
A library serving Columbia County that received $10,000 to create Community Access Points for residents.
James V. Brown Library
A library in Lycoming County that received $9,390 for sensory welcoming kits for district libraries.
The details
The Columbia County Traveling Library received $10,000 to create Community Access Points in everyday gathering places, bringing digital access, books and resources to residents facing economic hardship. The James V. Brown Library received $9,390 for District Sensory Welcoming Kits that will be provided to all district libraries.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced the LSTA Action Grant awards.
Legal Context
The awards are issued under the Library Services and Technology Act, the federal statute that channels Institute of Museum and Library Services funding through state library agencies to local libraries. Pennsylvania's Action Grants apply that structure to individual projects capped at $10,000 each.
Residents in the communities served by these libraries can expect expanded digital access, community access points and sensory welcoming resources as the funded projects roll out. The awards mean local libraries can offer programs that they could not fund from their own budgets alone.
The takeaway
Check whether your local library is among the 26 awardees, since the full list is posted on the Pa. Department of Education's website. Libraries that received grants may be launching new programs that residents can use directly.
Further reading
Explore more on financial aid programs available to Pennsylvania residents and institutions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NorthcentralPA.
