ARPA Grant
The Guthrie Public Library Receives Grant for Pandemic Relief and Recovery
4/4/2022
Candy Ford, Assistant Director
cford@cityofguthrie.com
(405) 282-0050 ext. 3
The Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) has awarded a $15,015.79 grant to The Guthrie Public Library to address impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. ODL offered targeted grants to Oklahoma public libraries as part of the agency’s plan for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Suzette Chang, Director of Library Services, says the grant will be used to purchase physical and virtual materials that will support education, workforce development, and health. We will also be upgrading our security system, adding a touchless water bottle filling station, acquiring new lounge seating and providing wireless hotspots for check out.
“The pandemic offered a pause to all human beings; the Guthrie Public Library is no exception. Due to the support of the ARPA Grant, the Guthrie Public Library has strengthened our quantitative and qualitative impact with a more robust collection, a safer space and more opportunities to engage a growing Guthrie/Logan County,” Chang Said.
Jackie Kropp, director of the Office of Library Development at ODL, said grants totaling $1.45 million have been provided to 93 municipal libraries and all eight of the state’s library systems.
“The grants are funding a diverse array of items and projects to protect public health and assure continued services,” Kropp said. “The process allowed for a variety of options so that individual libraries could request grant funds to meet their most pressing needs.”
Kropp said libraries could purchase PPE and easily-cleanable furniture, fund network enhancements and Wi-Fi expansion, purchase connectivity devices for social distancing and remote access to online resources, support video conference capabilities, order health and wellness materials for their collections, and even pay for temporary staffing to help in the recovery process.
The spending criteria was provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and based on ARPA legislation.
In addition to the public library grants, ODL is using ARPA funds to also provide grants to adult literacy programs, museums, and tribal libraries and cultural centers. Other ODL-sponsored ARPA projects in the works include an Online High School pilot with six public libraries, the launch of a telehealth pilot program, online resources for homework help, an early literacy program for 30 small and rural public libraries, and procurement of document scanning stations for selected libraries.
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The Oklahoma Department of Libraries is the official state library of Oklahoma. The agency serves the information and records management needs of state government, assists with public library development, coordinates library and information technology projects for the state, and serves the general public through its specialized collections.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services works to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grant-making, research, and policy development.