A $20,000 Grant Will Help Whiting Library Work with Residents with Disabilities on ways to make the library accessible to all

Whiting Library in Chester, Vt. has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, anA  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 $20,000 grant that will help the library make improvements to the library for accessibility and to develop programs for community members with age-related disabilities.

“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Gail Zachariah. We know that our library has a lot to do to make our library accessible to everyone, and we look forward to working with the community to start this process. 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, Whiting Library staff will take an online course on leading conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host conversations with residents regarding accessibility.

Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined libraries’ role in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums, participate 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).”