NORTH MANCHESTER - The North Manchester Public Library (NMPL) has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in round three 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 install indoor and outdoor sensory friendly zones for juvenile patrons, according to a provided news release.
“We’re excited to create spaces catering to the needs of children with invisible disabilities like Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism. Our library is a busy hub of activity and it can be overwhelming at times,” said Sarah Morbitzer, children’s department manager. “We’ve been dreaming for years about creating a retreat space for kids who need to find their calm. Thanks to the ALA grant, we will finally be able to make those dreams a reality!”
As part of the grant, NMPL 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 the proposed improvements and use the grant funds to install an outdoor music park, turn a children’s department nook into a sensory retreat complete with a Mobile Sensory Station, and take three years of KultureCity’s Sensory Inclusive training and certification.
“We have an idea of what will benefit our community,” said Molly Magnus, programming coordinator. “However, the ALA grant gives us the freedom to change direction. As we host community conversations, we plan to talk with kids and caregivers in our community to find out what they are looking for at the library. We want to take that feedback and fine-tune our plan to become as beneficial as possible.”
“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Andrea Zwiebel. “This grant will allow our library to get to know our residents with disabilities better. It will help us improve our services to ensure this population feels welcome and comfortable in our space. We love meeting our young patrons where they are. Their unique personalities and interests bring so much joy and creativity to the library!”
“We’ve observed how challenging emotions can be for young patrons,” said Jeanna Hann, adult department manager. “Families can feel embarrassed by outbursts or worry that they are disturbing the library. We want everyone to know that the library is here for the chaotic moments as well as the calm ones. We hope that the addition of these sensory zones will not only provide practical tools for families in those tough moments, but also underscore our message of always being here to serve the community!”
The library thanks Wabash County Diversity Coalition, Manchester Alive, Daniel’s Place and Nancy Johnston of Manchester Community Schools for signing letters of support during the grant process.
If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, contact Sarah Morbitzer at [email protected] for more information.