I am very pleased to inform you that the RPL received an LSTA “Dig In Grant” for $20,000 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The grant will run from October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025.
Shout out to the SUPER Grant Team who worked on the application and will turn these fabulous ideas into reality: Michelle Filleul, Kathryn Geoffrion Scannell, Andrea Hogan, Sara Kelso, Megan White, Desiree Zicko.
We also want to thank (and look forward to working with) community partners such as the Reading Garden Club, the Town Forest Committee, the Reading Community Garden, and the Reading Health Department for their input and letters of support for this project.
The abstract of the grant, which will include a combination of modest green improvements (inside and outside) and educational programs, is below:
“Cultivating Community: Growing and Nurturing Sustainable Spaces” aims to transform Reading Public Library into a vibrant hub for intergenerational and inclusive education on nature and sustainability. The project will build community through community involvement and partnerships with local groups to share expertise and resources and form a “Garden Ambassador” volunteer program; establish nature and sustainability programming as a long-term pillar of the educational offerings; enrich the library’s collection with accessible related resources; and add green spaces both indoors with a “Living Wall” and plantings to showcase the benefits of indoor plants and outdoors through enhancing the patio Plant Lab garden and adding sensory and native pollinator garden beds. The initiative will reach individuals and intersectional groups, including children, teens, adults, families, neurodiverse individuals, and those with disabilities. Aligned with the library’s current strategic plan, this Cultivating Community underscores our
commitment to education, equity, access, and accountability.