By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville — The Brandon Township Public Library has received a $10,000 grant from the American Library Association to help create a quiet space for residents. They were one of 240 libraries selected to participate in Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, which is an ALA initiative to provide community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.
“As we worked through our 2018-2023 Strategic Plan, community members had asked the library to establish a quiet study space,” said Shauna Quick, implementation manager at the BTPL. “Throughout the five years, we tried moving some rooms around in the library, dedicated the meeting room as a study space, and eventually sought quotes to place doors on the alcoves in the Adult Services Department.”
Currently, the alcoves in question are open to the rest of the library. This grant will allow the library to enclose one of the alcoves.
“These quotes were not something we had budgeted,” said Quick. “When a grant opportunity arose, Alyssa Waldie and I took a chance and applied with the library director’s approval.”
As part of the grant, library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, which is vital to library work. The staff will then host an online conversation with residents about the space.
“This space is needed for people to have a quiet location to take telehealth appointments, for remote workers, provide an uninterrupted tutoring/study location, and a room for someone to step away from over-stimulation,” said Quick. “We recognize the library as a thriving community space that can’t always be a silent sanctuary, but instead, a vibrant hub of engagement, learning and connection for all.”