Grant totaling $5,000 awarded by Online Computer Library Center
SHOW LOW, Ariz. (March 12, 2019) – Show Low Public Library is one of 15 public libraries that serve small U.S. communities and the only one in Arizona to have been selected to participate in the “Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces” project led by Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) in partnership with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries. The project team received 120 applications from 38 states. The selected libraries represent 15 states and serve communities ranging in size from 900 to 15,500 people.
Participating staff from each library will be guided through the 15-month project designed by OCLC’s WebJunction, in which they will work with their community members to reimagine and reconfigure library space to encourage socially engaging and active learning at the library.
Over the course of nine learning modules, participants will gather online to learn and apply principles of placemaking, community engagement, and human-centered space and service design. After conducting community input, action planning, and prototyping, the libraries will create their learning spaces, using a $5,000 sub-grant provided by Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) toward materials.
“Show Low Public Library is so excited to be part of this project and looks forward to sharing with our community the end results,” said Lisa Lewis, Library Manager. “We are very grateful for the funding that IMLS provided to OCLC that allows rural and small libraries opportunities such as this.”