As construction continues on the new Foley Public Library, city officials are securing outside funding to expand programs and technology at the facility before it opens later this year.

Foley City Council voted May 4 to accept a $20,000 Library Services and Technology Act Strengthening Youth and Family Grant that will help equip the library's new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) learning space.

The new two-story library is under construction on East Orange Avenue south of U.S. 98. When completed, the facility will feature more than 40,000 square feet of space, roughly double the size of the current library building that opened in 1984.

Library Director Kate Norris said the added space will allow the city to broaden educational offerings and community programming.

"This room in the library is going to be used for learning. We're going to call it the Learning Lab," she said. "We already implement learning things at the library, and this will be used to expand that."

Norris said the grant will help the library invest in technology designed to support programs for children, teens and families.

"We want to be smart about what we purchase. We want to make sure that it will be beneficial," she said. "We're going to get a lot of use out of it. We're super excited about this, and it's moving very quickly."

In addition to the state grant, the library is also receiving support from local organizations and elected officials.

The Foley Woman's Club donated $19,200 to purchase equipment for a new sensory room planned for the library. Norris asked city council to designate the area as the Foley Woman's Club Sensory Nook in recognition of the contribution.

Sensory rooms in libraries are designed to support users with varying sensory needs by providing spaces to study, relax or decompress in a quieter environment. Such rooms often include specialized lighting, seating and interactive equipment intended to create calming or engaging experiences.

Council members also voted to accept a $2,000 donation from state Rep. Donna Givens, R-64, that will be used to purchase additional technology for the new building.