SUMMERDALE, Ala. — The Marjorie Younce Snook Public Library, will get new video conferencing equipment, courtesy of a $1,500 grant from the Alabama Public Library Service. The Summerdale Police Department received a $134,919 grant to hire a new police officer for three years.

“This is going to carry us a little further into the technology age,” said Cindy Suggs, the librarian.

The library grant is to purchase a computer with an integrated camera and microphone. The new gear will allow library staff and patrons to video conference.

One of the first savings the new gear will have for the town is sending Suggs to mandatory conferences — without mileage and hotel expenses.

“I am going to be able to do lectures inside (the library) instead of going to Montgomery,” she said.

In a later e-mail Suggs said, “The motivation behind the grant is to enable the library to purchase equipment that can be used for ‘face-to-face’ video conferencing interaction for workshops, meetings, etc.”

The video equipment will save the approximately 360-mile round trip and lodging expenses that would have to be paid for the four times a year conferences.

“It’s a considerable savings,” said Suggs.

While the equipment will be used for library conferences first, Suggs does foresee the day when business owners might make use of the facilities to attend videoconferences of their own. The equipment may allow other educational programs to be offered at the local library.

“This will be a fantastic addition to our Computer Lab," Suggs said. "Not only will our staff have access to meetings and workshops via videoconference, our patrons will be able to communicate with family and loved ones around the United States and overseas as well. We are very excited for the opportunity to provide this service for the Summerdale community.”

Council member Norma Giles added that the library has also received a $1,000 grant from the Wal-Mart in Foley to purchase a large-screen television to display TV shows and videos at the library.

The Summerdale Police Department has received $134,919 to hire one new police officer for three years from a “COPS FAST” (COPS Funding Accelerated for Small Towns) grant. COPS is the Department of Justice’s “Community Oriented Policing Services.”

The grant, says Chief of Police Dwain Riebeling, is “designed to put police officers back on the street.”

The grant, according to Riebeling, will pay one officer for three years.

“We have one officer retiring,” said Riebeling, referring to Sgt. Connie King. The new hire should be on the streets the first of October. Riebeling said he planned to hire a trained officer, a part-time officer the town had to let go in October.

“This will keep us at five full-time officers, myself and a secretary,” said Riebeling.