EBSCO Information Services is awarding its 2017 EBSCO Solar grant to the Athens-Clarke County Library in Athens, Georgia and The Indian Trails Public Library in Wheeling, Illinois. The grants will provide each library with $100,000 to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grant offsets the cost of installing solar panels and allows libraries to reduce their electricity expenditures.

The Athens-Clarke County Library is the headquarters of the 5-county Athens Regional Library System. The library plans to install a “Sunshine Garden” solar garden, a ground-installed array, on its campus. The library has hosted a variety of sustainability-related events in the past, such as the annual “Green Life Expo,” which seeks to educate local businesses and families about how to reduce their carbon footprint. As part of the grant, the library plans to partner with local schools to create a STEM solar lab to demonstrate solar energy to children, as well as host a seminar for adults on retrofitting homes with solar panels in conjunction with the library’s “Reflecting, Sharing, Learning” programming.

Athens Regional Library System Executive Director Valerie Bell says, “We are absolutely elated to receive the EBSCO Solar grant. From our 2013 LEED-certified building renovation to our electric car charging stations, our library strives to be a community leader in environmental sustainability. We can’t wait to install our Sunshine Garden! Not only will it offset utility costs, but it will be a very visible, and beautiful, reminder about energy conservation to all.”    

The Indian Trails Public Library, located in Wheeling, Illinois, serves many communities in the northern Chicago suburbs. Since moving into a new building earlier this year, the library has created plans to start a Giving Garden for children to learn about sustainable farming practices. Along with the solar array, the library is planning programming that will include lectures and an exhibit from the Illinois Solar Energy Association, children’s workshops such as UV Energy with UV Beads; Solar Oven Building, a community-wide sustainability fair focused on educating families on how to reduce their carbon footprint; and a career fair in sustainable technologies.

Indian Trails Library District’s Executive Director Brian Shepard says, “We are thrilled by the opportunity to further our dedication to renewable energy resources through the generosity of the EBSCO Solar grant program. Through our expanded STEM programming and makerspace initiatives, we hope to educate and inspire residents to explore the lasting benefits that sustainability practices contribute to an informed community.”

EBSCO Industries, Inc. President and CEO Tim Collins says the grants are a great way for EBSCO to make a difference. “The EBSCO Solar Grant program helps libraries but it is part of a larger effort to reduce our environmental footprint and show communities the benefits of environmental responsibility. We look forward to seeing the installations at Athens-Clarke and Indian Trails.”