Shelby Area District Library Receives National Grant for Small and Rural Libraries
Shelby Area District 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 improve accessibility to the facility with automatic door operators installed at the library’s north entrance.
As part of the grant, Shelby Area District 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 about the importance of accessibility. If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Tiffany Haight at 231-861-4565 or [email protected].
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).”