Mobile Emerging Technology and Learning Lab (METALL)

Contact Person: Darrin Daugherty, Technology Consultant

Original Project: Mobile Makerspace and Digital Literacy Training

Grant Funding: Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansas (DOCK 2.0)

Continuation Plans:

DOCKing Stations

Map of Southeast Kansas showing county names and color to show which counties share a DOCKing station. A public library designated as a DOCKing Station will house and loan a set of equipment using the SEKnFind Shared Catalog to libraries within its sub-region. 

DOCKing Stations include:

  1. Linn County Library District #1, LaCygne, covering Linn and Bourbon counties 
  2. Eureka Public Library, covering Greenwood and Woodson counties
  3. Sedan Public Library, covering Chautauqua and Elk counties
  4. Iola public Library, covering Allen and Anderson counties
  5. Parsons Public Library, covering Cherokee and Labette counties
  6. W. A. Rankin Memorial Library, Neodesha, covering Neosho and Wilson counties
  7. Girard Public Library, covering Crawford county
  8. Coffeyville Public Library, covering Montgomery county

Event Ideas

  • Innovation Days
  • Petting Zoos
  • School-centric events, such as outreach during sporting events
  • Collaboration with partner Organizations, including Extension Office, Schools, Senior Centers, Nursing Homes, Day Cares, Home School Organizations, and Local Government

Original Grant Components:

Equipment

A variety of emerging technologies with diverse uses from robotics to manufacturing were purchased to share among libraries and their communities.

“Libraries throughout the region have joined forces with their Digital Navigator, schools, colleges, and interested locals to host Innovation Days, STEM Camps, and Tech petting zoo programs with this grant,” said Sharon Moreland, System Director. “Our crew of Digital Navigators are on the ground providing training and exposure to these emerging technologies.“

Libraries

This common inventory of technology is for the use of our member libraries (public, school, and academic) for community programs, partnerships, and outreach events.

Digital Navigators

During the grant period, from June 2025 to June 2026, a team of dedicated contractors and library staff served as the link between the library, the community, and this equipment. The program’s success hinged on the navigators and their ability to train staff and showcase the equipment’s many uses at public events.

Project Outcomes

  1. Empowering libraries to organize outreach programs
  2. Encouraging collaboration and opportunities for unique events among libraries and community partners by geography, type, and audience
  3. Educating the public on a variety of emerging technologies and allowing those interested in investing in that technology to try it before they buy it.

Grant Project Goals

  1. Provide more access to emerging technology by developing a common inventory for cooperatives of 1 to 3 counties that can be rotated as a mobile makerspace among the member libraries to include: 3D printers, Laser Engravers/ Cutters, Cricuts, VR headsets.
  2. Provide additional emerging technology for the technology team that can be used for training staff and community and Digital Navigators. In addition to the equipment listed in goal 1, this will include robotic kits, drone kits, 3D scanners, 360° and an overhead scanner for digital archival use.
  3. Identify and train Digital Navigators in each county (at least 1 per county) on the use of the equipment for teaching digital skills to the staff and patrons of the member libraries. Total hours to be contracted out will be 80 per week.
  4. Also train these Digital Navigators to use the resources available from the Kansas State Library Databases to teach digital literacy skills to the staff and patrons of the member libraries. Programs will cover a variety of themes as well as be geared to various types of audiences.
  5. Develop 40 to 80 hours of programming per week within the 54 member public libraries that use the staff and the Digital Navigators to train digital literacy skills using the emerging technology and the Kansas State Library Databases.
  6. Increase the member libraries’ outreach to the communities by encouraging the Digital Navigators to integrate community organizations into the programs as well.

Media Links