SCOTT COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES 
$20,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Youth with Print Disabilities  

Scott County Library System 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 $20,000 grant that will help the library to address those students struggling with print disabilities. These funds will be used to greatly expand juvenile large print, audio, and read along collections and facilitate getting these much-needed materials into the hands of our students that need them the most.   

“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Tricia Kane. “This grant will allow our library to get to know our residents with print disabilities better. It will help us improve our services to ensure that our community has access to the type of materials that they desperately need.” 

Emily Haage, youth services coordinator, recognized a collection gap and a need for these items as she worked with the students, parents, and educators at the elementary schools in our service area and took on the task of submitting this grant application and gathering data to assist in making format selections.  

“Reading is for everyone and we are thrilled to use this funding to improve accessibility and spark reading joy in our community,” said Emily. “Our ability to offer these new formats will positively impact all students and especially those with dyslexia and other print disabilities.” 

Printed materials remain the main tool for teaching students and dominate most public library offerings. However, our youth with print disabilities need access to large print, audio, and digital materials, and this funding will allow the library to greatly expand those offerings. The bookmobile will play an important role in making these items available and getting them in the hands of those students who need them the most as it visits the elementary schools.  

Large print, audiobooks (Playaways), and read along fiction and non-fiction titles are now available for checkout, with many more coming soon. 

 “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).”