$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities
TOWN OF EATON — Eaton Public Library has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in the Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative, an American Library Association (ALA) grant program 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 Eaton Public Library provide directional and descriptive signage for patrons with vision problems, including low vision and blindness.
“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Greene. “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, Eaton Public 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 library wayfinding and use the grant funds to purchase and install ADA compliant signage throughout the library.
Many members of the Eaton community suffer from vision problems, with at least half of library patrons experiencing some form of reduced vision. The library found in a recent ADA audit that current signage is either incomplete, poorly lit, placed incorrectly, or missing altogether.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Amber Greene, Library Director at agreene [at] eatonco.org or visit eatonco.org/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).”