RAY TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
$3,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents on Connecting in a Digital World.

RAY — Ray Township Public Library has been selected as one of 200 libraries to participate in Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that helps library workers better serve their small and rural communities.

The competitive award comes with a $3,000 grant that will help the library teach seniors, and those without access to reliable internet, connect in an evermore digital world.

"We are grateful for the opportunity. Our goal is to bring digital literacy and confidence to our community,” said Library Director Christy DeMeulenaere.

As part of the grant, Ray Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host classes or virtual conversations with residents about how to navigate technology and use the grant funds to host classes, obtain more iPads, and mobile hotspots.

If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Mary Barnes at Mary@Raylibrary.org, or visit www.RayLibrary.org for more information.

More than 300 libraries applied for the grant, according to ALA.

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: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).”