$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities
Scio Memorial Library has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in the fourth and final round 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 update infrastructure to provide a more accessible facility for the community.
This grant will allow us to create a space that can be better utilized by community members with disabilities and improve our services for everyone.
As part of the grant, Scio Memorial Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host an in person conversation with residents about what can be improved in the library and use the grant funds to create a more welcoming and user-friendly space for all.
We have heard some feedback from community members and are excited to learn more about how the community believes the library can improve.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Raeanne at sciolibrary@gmail.com, or visit the Scio Memorial Library for more information.
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).”
