ADRIAN — The Adrian District Library has been selected for a $10,000 grant that will help the library implement a variety of initiatives to improve accessibility, and is looking for public input on how to make library resources and programs more available to all.

Adrian is one of 300 libraries chosen to participate in the third round of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, 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 implement a variety of initiatives to improve accessibility.

Some of the funds will be used to improve overall accessibility in the building, including the purchase of height-adjustable tables and lever-style door handles.

In addition, some of the funds will be used for youth-related initiatives, including staff training and programming resources for children with autism and the purchase of large print materials for youth with low vision.

“We are so proud to be chosen for this amazing opportunity,” said assistant director Chelsey Boss. “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.”

As part of the grant, Adrian District Library staff will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff members will then host conversations with residents about what they might find difficult about using the library. The staff and the library board will use information from the community conversations to determine how best to utilize the grant funds to improve physical accessibility to the library building and improve access to resources and programming for youth.

“We’ve heard from many local parents who are looking for a public sensory space and more resources for their children with autism,” said Boss. “And as part of the library’s strategic plan, we are continuing our efforts to make our building as accessible as possible to all city residents.”

Community conversations will take place on Tuesday, June 24 at 6 p.m. and on Thursday, June 26 at 6 p.m. People interested in attending may do so in person in the Community Room of the library at 143 E. Maumee St. in downtown Adrian, or online via Zoom. A dinner of pizza and salad will be served for in-person attendees, courtesy of Hungry Howie’s Pizza in Adrian.

To let the library know you plan to attend, call the library at 517-265-2265 or visit adrian.lib.mi.us.