By Ray Duckler and Geoff Forester
CONCORD MONITOR
Libraries in Concord, Pembroke and across the state, 42 in all, will receive extra money from the federal government for the think-outside-the-box approaches submitted on their grant applications.
New Hampshire State Library Director Michael York received more than $2 million in federal funds, to be distributed as he saw fit.
One grant, from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, is an annual allocation, while the other is known as the Competitive Grant Round, under the umbrella of President Joe Biden’s America Rescue Plan Act. Those winners were announced in the fall.
“This was additional money we are using,” York said.
York said each state receives a base amount plus additional money if the applications coming from libraries there meet certain criteria.
“The grants address three goals that will bolster public library services throughout the Granite State: expanding access to libraries and information services for patrons of all abilities and backgrounds; improving equity of access to library services by offering professional support for librarians and library staff; and increasing innovative services and programming that anticipate the changing needs for library services,” according to the State Library.
Concord went way outside the box with its plan. Most towns applied for the money using ideas created for inside their libraries, like digitizing historical documents and oral histories.
Not Concord. The Capital City’s local library plans to purchase bicycles and deliver books like pizzas. This way, access to customers expands greatly, and that feeds a town’s mind.
That’s what the governing bodies that made these choices want: strong public relations and innovation.
“The program is to buy two bikes from a local shop,” said Todd Fabian, director of the Concord Public Library. “We’ll get safety gear and maintenance from the shop. We’ll go to community events, parks, anywhere.”
And you don’t even have to pedal, since the electric bike cruises on its own.
“It’s months before anyone sees this at Market Days or National Night Out,” Fabian said. “The nice thing is the bike can go 16 or 17 miles per hour, so you don’t have to be in top shape. Even Penacook won’t be hard.”
Meanwhile, Tim Sheehan, the director at the Pembroke Public Library, collaborated with colleagues from Chichester, Northwood, Epsom and Pittsfield and received $24,188.
“We encourage collaborative grants and applications,” said Lori Fisher, the assistant state librarian.
Suncook Valley librarians took another step toward application approval by thinking beyond books.
“Expanding what people can borrow,” Sheehan said. “Things like sewing machines, tools, games, tablets, things that aren’t books. . . We’ll have it.”
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