An ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® Affiliated Club, The Jackson Amateur Radio Club (JARC), serving the metropolitan area of Jackson, Mississippi, recently donated two 3D printers with a retail value of $3,000 to the Library System in Madison County (MCLS).

“Thank you, Jackson Amateur Radio Club, for all you have done for our library system. We so appreciate you,” said MCLS Director Tammie Terry. “The $2,000 donation of amateur radio books a few months ago [is] already in circulation.”

JARC President Jim Armstrong, AK5J, added, “We enjoy our hobby a great deal, but public service and teaching the public about it is an integral part of our 75-year history here in the Jackson metropolitan area. We have worked out a formal partnership between our club and the Madison County Library System. We are making our second donation of material and equipment, and STEM-oriented programming to Madison County’s libraries. Our intent is to make this support an ongoing project of our club."

Dr. Frank Howell, K4FMH, Assistant Director for the ARRL Delta Division said, “This club is a national leader in partnering with public libraries. The Gallup Organization has studied libraries, finding that women and young people across the US visit them at over twice the rate that they attend movie theaters. The local public library is the most common cultural crossroad in the US.

David Norris, K5UZ, Director of ARRL’s Delta Division, comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, has promoted the Plant the Seed Initiative. “We have been very enthusiastic about the concept and program that Dr. Howell has created.”

The JARC is a local area club comprised of licensed amateur radio operators. They also offer "SMART: Saturday Morning Amateur Radio Time" workshops at MCLS branches.

The ARRL Library Book Set includes the most popular ARRL publications, and is intended for ARRL Affiliated Clubs and members who wish to gift or donate a set to a local library, school, or classroom. The set is available at a special price of $250 (includes US ground shipping).