$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Recover from the Coronavirus Pandemic
Mount Pleasant, IA – February 28, 2022 — J. Raymond Chadwick Library at Iowa Wesleyan University has been selected as one of 200 libraries nationwide for the American Library Association’s American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries opportunity, an emergency relief program to assist libraries that have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Chadwick Library will use funds to anchor itself in the community as a strong humanities institution. The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant to help the library deliver excellent programs and services related to culture, history, literature, and other humanities subjects.
More than 370 libraries applied for the grant, according to ALA. View the complete list of selected libraries.
The participating libraries, selected through a competitive, peer-reviewed application process, include public libraries, academic/college libraries, K-12 libraries, and tribal, special, and prison libraries. The recipients represent 45 states and Puerto Rico and serve communities ranging in size from 642 residents in Weir, Kansas, to Los Angeles, California. Libraries were chosen with an emphasis on reaching historically underserved and/or rural communities.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Iowa Wesleyan,” said Library Director Paula Wiley. “This grant will allow Chadwick Library to provide students with the digital resources they need to use now so that they can hone skills which will be vital in their future careers.”
Chadwick Library will use the grant funds to create a digital Humanities Lab, which will have cameras, sound equipment, computers, and software to help create digital blogs, vlogs, videos, podcasts, and other forms of media. This Humanities Lab will support students in the updated Humanities major and minor, the recently launched Honors Program, Digital Media Design, and many other programs across the IW campus.
“Libraries have faced significant hardships throughout the pandemic —from budget cuts to staff furloughs to building closures — especially in our communities of the greatest need,” said ALA President Patty Wong. “This crucial support from NEH will enable our beloved institutions and the dedicated people who run them to rebuild and emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”
American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Iowa Wesleyan University: As Southeast Iowa’s regional comprehensive University, Iowa Wesleyan University is a transformational learning community whose passion is to educate, empower and inspire students to lead meaningful lives and careers.