STEPHENSON — Menominee County Library has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in round three of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association or 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 improve accessibility to residence with physical or developmental disabilities.

“We are so proud and grateful to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Heather Harris. “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, the library director will take an online course in how to lead community conversations, a skill vital to library work today.

The library will then host a conversation with residents about accessibility at the Hermansville branch in the Meyer Township Hall building and other needs our county residents express. For example, screen readers, sensory items, and adaptive computer equipment.

“We will be reaching out to our county residents with physical or developmental disabilities to learn what they would like the library to have. It is very important that we include the residents themselves in the conversation. The main purpose of this grant is help create an environment accessible to all.” said Harris.

If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Heather Harris at the Menominee County Library S319 Railroad St. Stephenson, or call 906-352-4111 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.