BAY MINETTE —The Bay Minette Public Library has been awarded two Library Services and Technology Act grants by the Alabama Public Library Service. The grants were submitted by Library Director Joanna Bailey.

The LSTA is the only federal program exclusively for libraries. It is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 The first is an Information Access and Collection Control grant for $13,192 that has been used to purchase new computers to be used by patrons and staff. The library now has a total of 10 computers to be use by the patrons.

These computers are used for everything from filling out job applications and writing resumes to finding directions for an upcoming trip and social networking. The computers are available to the public during library operating hours.

Patrons are given an hour of computer use in the morning and afternoon and 30 minutes between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. due to the influx of students using the computers for school work.

The grant funding was also used to replace six computers used by the staff including circulation computers.

The second grant is a Collection Development grant for $7,000 which will be used to purchase library materials — books, audio books and DVDs.

For more information about the library, visit bayminettepubliclibrary.org or call (251) 580-1648. The library is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from  9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.