Royston Public Library to Hold Community Conversation

The Royston Public Library is one of 310 libraries selected to participate in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities.

The Libraries Transforming Communities initiative is a grant award designed to provide community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries in order to help them better serve people with disabilities.

The Royston Library is exploring a multitude of opportunities to put this grant to use, including the purchase of accessible equipment and supplies, such as wheelchair-friendly rugs, cochlear implant and hearing aid chargers, large print keyboards, or even the purchase of automated door openers for interior doors.

The competitive award will also support the library in developing programs tailored to various audiences.

Plans include the creation of a Sensory Storytime for neurodiverse children, as well as a Quieter Storytime encouraging more child-parent interaction with sensory toys and books.

Additionally, enhancements to the library’s garden, such as paved pathways and raised beds, will facilitate accessibility for both staff and patrons, eliminating the need to stoop, bend, or sit.

The Royston Library also intends to offer more passive programming opportunities to the Connections for Special Parents (CSP) organization, providing a welcoming environment for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities to engage in play, learning, and reading activities.

As part of the grant, Royston Public Library staff will take an online course on how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today.

The Royston Library will also host several community conversations to learn more about the needs of its residents, ensuring that the greatest needs are heard and met.

Their first Community Conversation will take place this Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Library staff is hoping to hear input from the community on how to improve library facilities for all abilities.

Each person who would like to talk at the forum will have Five minutes to speak.

Again, their first Community Conversation will take place on Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

If there are those who do not wish to speak in public, but still want their voices heard, they can email questions, comments, concerns, etc. to Branch Manager Maggie West at [email protected].