Our Little Library Gains National Attention

As the teen librarian and an employee, I am a bit biased, but I think we can all agree that our Library is pretty special.  I hear it dozens of times from people who are visiting from out of town or are here to present a library program.  The woodwork is fabulous, the children's area is stunning, the staff are incredibly polite and helpful, the list goes on and on.  I wanted to take some time to talk about some of the local and national grants our Library has been a part of in the last six months.  One of the grants is written by our Teen Council, which is made up of students in grades 7-12 and meets once a month.  These students have been working hard since last November to select prizes for our Teen Summer Reading program, which includes working intensely with a tight budget.  In February, those same teens presented their vision to a small group of their peers and adults which make up the Youth As Resources board.  Youth As Resources is a division on the United Way which challenges youth to design projects that will help their communities.  Nearly all of the leveled prizes in the teen program are funded thanks to Youth As Resources and the immense research and planning of our Public Library's Teen Council.  Interested in being a member? Just email our teen librarian for details.

Our Library is not just known for winning local grants, but also for national grants.  For the third year in a row, our Library has been awarded 1 of 20 grants across the country to support a Teen Summer Intern program, which is generously funded by the Young Adult Library Services Association and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.  To be eligible to apply as an intern, students must be in at least their second year of Teen Volunteer Corps and have good attendance.  These students have an intense six hour training session over two days, manage their peers, and are trusted with additional responsibilities. 

While the two above grants awarded so far in 2014 are impressive, there is yet another awesome grant or potential grant which we had to mention.  Zionsville's own Natasha Wujek entered the Healers Trilogy Contest is 1 of 19 finalists! As you can see, our Library may not be the biggest in the state, but we our staff and teens are doing great things to improve the Library for you and your family.  Great job to everyone and thanks for making the Library a part of your life!