LAKE REGION PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES
$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities on Accessible
Entrances, Communicating With the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community
DEVILS LAKE — Lake Region Public Library has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate
in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an
American Library Association (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 repair existing and
implement new accessible entrances, as well as train staff in American Sign Language and other
resources to better communicate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be chosen for this incredible opportunity to become better
acquainted with and better serve our patrons,” said Library Director Maddie Cummings. “This
award will facilitate conversations with our patrons with mobility issues, as well as our Deaf and
Hard of Hearing patrons so that all can easily access and utilize the community resource that is the
Lake Region Public Library.”
As part of the grant, Lake Region Public 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 automated entrances and nonverbal communication and use the grant funds to repair
existing automated doors, install another automated entrance, and train staff to better
communicate with and assist patrons in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
The Lake Region Public Library has recently renewed its commitment to accessibility, ensuring that
window treatments in its Community Room are secure and accessible and that shelves are spaced
properly to allow for wheelchair access. This initiative will continue the work into making sure this
important community space remains accessible to all.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Maddie
Cummings at lakeregionpl@gmail.com, or visit devilslakendlibrary.com 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.
“Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is an initiative of
the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small
Libraries (ARSL).”
