Year-end holiday hours: closed Dec. 24 & 25; closing at 4 on Dec. 31, closed Jan. 1
Year-end holiday hours: closed Dec. 24 & 25; closing at 4 on Dec. 31, closed Jan. 1
March 2024
Cook Memorial 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 make accessibility improvements.
“This grant will allow our library to get to know our residents with disabilities better,” reports Library Director Mary Cronin. “It will help us improve our facility, services, and programs to ensure our residents with disabilities feel welcome and comfortable in our space.”
As part of the grant, Cook Memorial Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host two community conversations with residents with disabilities and their families, then use the grant funds to make improvements based on the feedback received.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversations, please contact Mary Cronin at the library or by calling 603-323-8510.
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).”
December 2024 update
Our lunchtime community conversation was held in July with a large group of adults who have developmental disabilities who visit the library regularly with community integrator staff from Northern Human Services. We had a good conversation about what makes our library feel friendly, and we learned what kinds of programs or building improvements could make our library more welcoming, specifically:
The plan for using the grant funds is to fund programs to take place during the day when the patrons who are associated with Northern Human Services visit the library, including:
All of the programs, with the exception of book club, will be open to anyone who wishes to attend.
About one quarter of our $10,000 award will be for programs as described above, the remainder will go towards the cost of replacing the library's lift/elevator, which was installed in 2000. A breakdown and pricy repair in the summer of 2024 made us understand that its time is limited. Parts are no longer being manufactured for our model. Newer models are safer and easier to operate.
A plan for fundraising the additional cost of replacing our lift/elevator, estimated at $47,000, is in the works for 2025. Grant funds will also be sought to cover the expense.