The Lilly Pike Sullivan Library in Enfield has been selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities.
It is an American Library Association 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 provide programming and resources to enhance the lives of seniors dealing with mobility issues, visual and hearing impairments as well as cognitive impacts such as dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said Halifax County Library Director Brenda Faithful. “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.”
In the gallery: Faithful shows Enfield library patron Geneva Whitaker how to use the Fidget Sensory Muff Dog for Seniors that she won as a door prize. The dog is intended to help exercise hands, thus, exercising the brain.
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As part of the grant, Enfield library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host focus group conversations to formulate plans to better serve the disabled population in the area.
The Enfield library presently has a partnership with the Enfield Parks and Recreation Department to provide programs for seniors that are impacted by these disabilities. “Being awarded this grant funding will allow this partnership to grow and provide the needed resources for this population,” the county said.
Those interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation are encouraged to contact Cheryl Dickens at 252-445-5203 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.