Leach Library to receive NH State Library ARPA grant funding

Leach Library is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $12,321 in funding through the Institute for Museum and Library Services’ “Grants to States” program. The grant program is part of the American Rescue Act Plan of 2021 and is being facilitated by the N.H. State Library.

Leach Library will use this grant award to reach new users and expand the collection beyond traditional library materials to meet community needs that have been highlighted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the grant application, Leach Library detailed that it would meet these needs by using grant funds to introduce an additional downloadable service that will be available 24/7 and will increase accessibility to digital materials. The library will also establish a “Library of Things” to circulate practical equipment and kits that meet patrons’ personal, educational, and recreational needs. In Spring 2022, the library staff will conduct a marketing campaign to promote these new resources with an ambitious goal to register 500 new cardholders.

“The Board of Trustees are grateful to the efforts of Donna Plante, who authored the grant application with the help of Megan Donovan, and the staff who have soldiered through the operation of the Leach Library during these days and months of pandemic challenges,” said Leach Library Board of Trustees Chair Betsy McKinney. “We trust that the improvements to services this grant provides will give patrons an even better experience.”

“New Hampshire’s strong relationship with its public libraries was made even more evident during the past two years, when librarians and their staffs were able to adjust services nimbly in order to continue to meet the needs of their communities,” said N.H. State Librarian Michael York. “The innovative programs funded by these grants will continue to strengthen not only public library services, but also the communities in which the libraries reside.”

“As pillars of our communities, libraries and museums bring people together by providing important programs, services and collections. These institutions are trusted spaces where people can learn, explore and grow,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “IMLS is proud to support their initiatives through our grants as they educate and enhance their communities.”

The Leach Library Board of Trustees invites members of the public to attend a public hearing at the library on February 2, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. to accept the grant funds. For more information and project updates, please call the library at (603) 432-1132 or check the Leach Library’s website or Facebook page.

Part of the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the N.H. State Library promotes excellence in libraries and library services to all New Hampshire residents, by assisting libraries and the people of New Hampshire with rapid access to library and informational resources through the development and coordination of a statewide library/information system; by meeting the informational needs of New Hampshire’s state, county and municipal governments and its libraries; and by serving as a resource for New Hampshire. For more information, visit nh.gov/nhsl.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.