LINCOLN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities
Stevensville — Lincoln Township Public Library has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in round three of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.
The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library better serve those with autism and with Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
“Everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, and supported at their library,” said Library Director Joelle Wake. “This grant allows us to better understand the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and create a space and resources that truly works for them.”
As part of the grant, library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host a conversation with residents impacted by autism and Alzheimer’s/Dementia and use the grant funds to enhance the library’s material selection and services.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Brian Johnston at bjohnston@lincolnlib.org or call the library at (269) 429-9575.
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.
“Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).”
