North Callaway School District libraries were granted $1,000 for new equipment.
Southern Star granted the district the funds. Southern Star is a leading transporter of natural gas to America's heartland.
The libraries will use the funds to purchase new recording equipment and e-books next year.
Elizabeth Boyd, North Callaway School District media specialist, said one of the Southern Star employees contacted her and asked if there was a need in the school district.
Boyd said the library has been in the process of saving in their budget to purchase new recording equipment.
The library was soon awarded the grant by Southern Star after requesting.
It was an easy process to apply for the grant, she said. The grant is available for any nonprofit or school.
There wasn't any recording equipment available that the students could use at the library, so the need was there, Boyd said.
The recording equipment will allow students to do multiple things. One set of equipment will be purchased.
Boyd said the equipment will be reserved for one particular school building for two weeks at a time where students can create recordings. Then, the equipment will be moved to another building, where the equipment will be allowed the same access.
"We hope to purchase the equipment before the end of the year so we can use it next semester," she said.
This is Boyd's first year as district librarian for North Callaway and when she came into the district, the district asked her what her vision was.
Boyd said her vision is to have a space where kids can create. This is a space where kids can create poetry or responses to books with the new equipment. Classrooms can be confined sometimes and libraries can be a place more imaginative.
The library does as much as it can to outreach to students and communities.
"We do as much as we can to outreach to the students at our school and are looking forward to building more of our community outreach program," she said.
Boyd said the library is currently establishing some book clubs to help promote literacy and the understanding of our culture.