Over $4,000 awarded by CDC’s “Communities for Immunity”
September 22, 2021 Alfred, NY ─ The libraries serving communities throughout the county today announced that they have been awarded funding from Communities for Immunity in support of its work to promote vaccine confidence Allegany County.
Supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Communities for Immunity is an initiative of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, the American Alliance of Museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Network of the National Library of Medicine providing funding awards and support to museums and libraries engaging their communities to boost COVID-19 vaccine confidence. As trusted community partners, museums and libraries play a critical role in building vaccine confidence and fighting the pandemic. The $4,160 award will support promoting information, education, and addressing mis-information through partnerships with local Department of Health and Jones Memorial Hospital.
“Libraries have always been a resource for lifelong learning and we are happy to be able step up at this crucial time to aid in bringing our neighborhoods to a place of comfort and understanding,” shared Nic Gunning, Library Director of the David A. Howe Library of Wellsville. “We are looking forward to working with our local health organizations to address misinformation and make our communities safe and healthy.”
“Congratulations to the libraries and for their work to support COVID-19 response within their community,” said American Library Association President Patty Wong. “Never before has access to information played such a vital role in the lives of library patrons. More than ever, accurate information regarding vaccines and other health information empowers communities to make informed choices. We hope that today’s funding will assist with efforts to save lives by stopping the spread of coronavirus through education and encouraging those most hesitant to receive the vaccine to look to their libraries for trusted information.”
Communities for Immunity builds on a number of earlier and ongoing efforts to activate engagement in vaccine confidence work, including REopening Archives, Libraries and Museums (REALM), a research partnership between OCLC, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and Battelle; Vaccines & US, led by the Smithsonian and in collaboration with a range of partner organizations and individuals; Vaccinate with Confidence from the CDC; We Can Do This from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the It’s Up to You campaign led by the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative.
About Allegany County Libraries
There are seventeen libraries serving Allegany County the communities of Alfred, Almond, Andover, Angelica, Belfast, Belmont, Bolivar, Canaseraga, Cuba, Fillmore, Friendship, Little Genesee, Richburg, Rushford, Scio, Wellsville and Whitesville. All libraries are members of the Southern Tier Library System that serves the five counties of Allegany, Steuben, Schuyler, Chemung, and Yates.
About Communities for Immunity:
Communities for Immunity is an initiative of the Association of Science and Technology Centers, Institute of Museum and Library Services, American Alliance of Museums, and the Network of the National Library of Medicine, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in collaboration with the American Library Association, the Association of African American Museums, the Association of Children’s Museums, the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, and the Urban Libraries Council. Learn more about Communities for Immunity.
