Elizabeth Library has been selected as one of 300 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 facilitate Elizabeth-area residents in talking about their hopes and dreams for their community.

“We are delighted that the ALA chose the Elizabeth Library to be part of this innovative program,” said Library Manager Laurie Van Court. “This grant will help us provide a forum for Elizabeth-area residents to express their hopes, dreams and concerns for our community.”

As part of the grant, Elizabeth Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host a conversation with residents about their hopes for the Elizabeth community and share conversation results with area decision-makers, service providers and commercial interests.

Elizabeth and the area around it have experienced a great deal of change in recent years. Many residents have expressed alarm and frustration about the future of their community. The ALA grant will help Elizabeth Library give residents a platform to voice both their concerns and their aspirations for Elizabeth.

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; to take part in anti-violence activities; to provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and to have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.

The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) collaborated with the ALA in the initiative.

Anyone interested in taking part in the conversation can contact Laurie Van Court at 303-646-3416 or lvancourt@pplibraries.org.