Library Staff Report
for Carter County Times
The Carter County Public Library has been awarded the American Library Association’s COVID Library Relief Grant in the amount of $40,000. This aid comes on the heels of last year’s Kentucky legislature decision to eliminate state aid for libraries and could very well be what keeps the doors open to the public library, according to library staff.
“We want to see this grant turn into a real turning point for the library,” says library director, Matt Parsons.
“We’ve also gotten a lot of help from the local government bodies, with the fiscal court compensating us for state aid, and Olive Hill increasing their contribution another two thousand,” he added.
While some of the money will be invested back into the library to maintain staffing and keep up the building in Grayson – along with assistance from the city), the funds are also being turned into community programs.
The library will be launching three new community programs in the colder season. First, a homeschooling mentorship program allowing new local homeschoolers to connect with seasoned homeschooling families and creating a support network for home education in the area. Second, a podcast on American songwriting to be released later this month. Finally, the library, with help from Chris Blankenship at Carter County West, is developing a computer lending program for families in need in the area.
“These are nice, fully functioning all-in-one desktop computers,” said Parsons, who is working on procuring the necessary software to keep the computers running properly.
“We are hoping to make these long-term loan items that can be used for several months as a partial answer to the lack of technology available given the current demand.”
And, as if that wasn’t enough, the library board has voted to eliminate late fees for overdue items. So, if you have overdue library materials, you can now turn those in without fear of paying penalties.
“With this grant as our foundation, and more to come as we get more and more support from local government bodies, we can transform our public library into an agent for community change,” Parsons said of the new programs and policy changes. “Carter Count deserves a beautiful public service that they can be proud of. We hope to make that possible in the near future.”
Contact Matt Parsons at the Carter County Public Library, visit the Olive Hill or Grayson locations, or visit the library website and Facebook page for more information
