CHESTERVILLE — Selover Public Library has been selected as one of 240 libraries to participate in 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 increase accessibility for patrons with mobility disabilities.

“We are excited to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Martha Wall. “This grant will allow our library to improve our services to ensure our residents with mobility disabilities feel welcome and comfortable in our space.”

As part of the grant, Selover Library staff will take an online course on how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host a conversation with residents about accessibility for people with mobility disabilities and use the grant funds to make library improvements. Some possible improvements include automatic doors and an accessible drinking fountain.

To help the library understand their needs, people with mobility disabilities are invited to participate in a community conversation on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m. in Selover Library’s downstairs community room. This space is accessible via an outdoor ramp. An honorarium in the form of a gift card of up to $50, depending on the number of attendees, will be mailed to those with mobility disabilities after the conversation.

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 ALA in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).

Submitted by Selover Public Library.