PRESCOTT PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
PRESCOTT, WI — Prescott Public 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 replace the parking lot and sidewalk to make it safe and accessible especially for individuals with physical disabilities that affect and/or limit their mobility.
“We are so excited to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Carissa Langer. “This grant will help us improve our physical space to ensure equitable access.”
As part of the grant, Prescott Public Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host conversations with residents about accessibility at the library and use the grant funds to replace the parking lot, curb, and sidewalk to make the building’s entrance easy and safe for all visitors.
By centering our project on the mobility needs of individuals with physical disabilities, we aim to promote greater independence, improve quality of life, and foster equitable access to resources and opportunities available at the library.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact the library at 715-262-5555.
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).”