FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Mary McColloch
Library Clerk
Stuart Public Library
515-523-2152
mary.mccolloch@stuart.lib.ia.us
Stuart Public Library RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities
Stuart, IA — The Stuart Public library has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in round two 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 provide automatic door openers on our public restrooms and add more ADA compliant features to the library.
“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Lisa Sherman. “This grant will allow our library to get to know our residents with disabilities better. It will help us improve our services to ensure this population feels welcome and comfortable in our space.”
As part of the grant, Mary McColloch, library clerk, will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Mary will then host a conversation with residents about disabilities affecting our citizens and use the grant funds to better equip the library to serve those with disabilities.
This is an important project to us as we continue to serve patrons from Stuart and the surrounding communities. Not all disabilities are visible and do not pertain to just the elderly. We hope this process will continue to help us grow our services and better serve our patrons.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Mary at
515-523-2152 or mary.mccolloch@stuart.lib.ia.us 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).”