Cameron Library Receives $10,000 Accessibility Grant

The Cameron Public Library is one of 240 libraries nationwide that will be taking part in a program aiming to provide community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.

The Cameron Public Library has been selected to participate in “Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities”, which is an American Library Association (ALA) initiative.

The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library upgrade the exterior access to the library, replace sidewalk and add much needed ADA accessible parking.

The grant will be combined with $150,000 from the City of Cameron’s ARPA funds and $50,000 from the community projects budget (2021) to update the exterior, upgrade the second floor windows, and create an attractive and welcoming exterior entrance.

As part of the grant, Cameron Public Library staff will also take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. They will then host a conversation with residents about access to the library and use the grant funds to meet their needs.