Elkins Library Gets Grant For Teen Program

ELKINS — Elkins Public Library has been selected as one of 200 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 use books to facilitate social-emotional learning conversations for teens. More than 300 libraries applied for the grant, according to ALA.

“I am so excited to meet more teens in our community,” said Abby Grimsley, children’s librarian. “This grant presents a great opportunity to create student centered conversations around topics that matter to them.”

As part of the grant, Elkins 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 monthly online conversation with local teens and use the grant funds to help tackle difficult social problems presented in popular young adult fiction and how it translates to real life situations.

“Using books, the Elkins Public Library strives to create an atmosphere where authentic conversations about common social problems for youth can occur,” said Audra Bell, library director. “According to the youth. gov website, some of the subjects that benefit from more communication with teens are bullying, incarceration of parents, dating violence, disabilities, homelessness/runaway, sexuality, pregnancy, substance abuse, and suicide. These can be difficult to address as an adult authority figure or teen.”

Anyone interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, should contact Audra Bell at 479- 643-2904 or audra bell@elkins.arkansas.gov, or visit https://elkins.arkansas.gov/city-departments/elkinslibrary for more information.

As a small library in a rural town, Elkins Public Library has limited resources but a large reach. With population estimations at approximately 3,000 in 2018, our library currently has 1,735 registered users. Elkins Public Library serves as one of the city’s institutions, leading the way in digital inclusion, small business education and robotics.