Kids in Petersburg are set to program robots and tackle coding challenges at their neighborhood library once new equipment arrives, no car ride to a bigger branch required.

The Chapin Memorial Library at 6517 Market Street received a $1,000 grant from the Rural Technology Fund, the Boone County Public Library system announced Monday, July 21. The money fully covers three Sphero BOLT robotics kits and three Samsung Galaxy tablets, giving the small Petersburg branch its first-ever robotics equipment.

"Thanks to this grant, our community won't have to travel to experience robotics and coding; they'll be able to learn, create and explore right here in their library," said Kaitlin Barber, branch manager at Chapin Memorial.

The Rural Technology Fund is a nonprofit focused on narrowing the digital divide between rural and urban communities. The Chapin Memorial branch, one of six in the Boone County Public Library system, serves Petersburg and surrounding areas that had no local access to robotics programming, according to the library system.

What the equipment will do

Barber said the kits and tablets will support recurring STEM workshops and drop-in activities where participants program robots, navigate obstacle courses and solve coding challenges using Sphero's block-based coding platform. The equipment will become part of the branch's year-round programming for children and teens.

How to stay updated

Chapin Memorial is one of six BCPL locations alongside the Main Library in Burlington, the Scheben Branch in Union, and branches in Florence, Hebron and Walton. No specific workshop dates have been announced. Residents can find program updates at bcpl.org or by visiting any Boone County Public Library location.