From accessibility improvements and technology upgrades to new books and updated community spaces, the Britton Public Library has secured more than $36,000 in grants and donations over the past several months.
The funding comes at a time when the library continues to navigate budget challenges, prompting staff to actively pursue outside funding opportunities to support projects that might otherwise have been delayed.
Among the largest awards was a $10,000 donation from the Carnegie Foundation. The Britton Public Library qualified because it was originally established as a Carnegie library.
“This was a very generous donation from the Carnegie Foundation to libraries that were founded as Carnegie libraries,” Library Director Sonya Lang said. “Even though our building has changed over the years, we will always carry that designation because of our history.”
The donation was awarded in recognition of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary and may be used at the library’s discretion, with no additional requirements attached.
The library also received a $10,000 grant through the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities program. The grant is intended to help libraries improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
As part of the grant process, the library hosted a public meeting seeking input from community members on accessibility improvements. While no public suggestions were submitted, library officials identified a need to update the circulation desk to better comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
Planned improvements include lowering the checkout counter, creating adequate knee space for wheelchair users, adding a second checkout window on the north side of the desk, removing the wall above the current desk to improve visibility between staff and patrons, and installing an indoor book drop.
“The existing desk is not convenient for older residents or patrons with limited mobility,” Lang said. “Without this grant, we would not have been able to do this project at this time.” Lang credited Randy Roehr and Keith Beck for helping develop plans for the redesigned circulation desk.
The library must submit an interim report on the project by Aug. 31, 2026. Grant funds must be spent by April 30, 2027, with a final report due June 30, 2027.
Additional improvements are planned through an $8,000 grant from the Stephanie Miller-Davis Library Grant Program. Those funds will be used to update the library’s conference room and story-time room with new carpeting, adjustable nesting tables on wheels, colorful seating for the juvenile area and a Lego storage cart.
A $7,000 donation from Venture Communications will allow the library to purchase a new computer desk and four new public-use computers. The donation carries no reporting requirements.
The library also received a $1,200 Children’s Book Project Grant from the Pilcrow Foundation. The grant was made possible through a partnership with the Friends of the Britton Public Library, which contributed $400. The Pilcrow Foundation matched those funds at a two-to-one ratio, providing an additional $800.
The funding will be used to purchase books for the library’s juvenile and children’s collections through the Pilcrow Foundation’s program. Once the books arrive, the library will share photos of the new additions on its Facebook page and with the foundation.
Taken together, the projects will touch nearly every area of the library, says Lang.
