Selover Public Library

SELOVER LIBRARY RECEIVES NATIONAL GRANT FOR SMALL AND RURAL LIBRARIES  
$10,000 Grant Will Help the Library Work with Residents with Disabilities to Access Learning Resources  

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Selover Public Library in Chesterville has been selected as one of 300 libraries to participate in the fourth and final round of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities.   

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The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library expand their collection with materials to help children who have disabilities that create learning challenges.  

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“We are so proud to be chosen again for this amazing opportunity,” said Library Director Martha Wall. “This is our third round of funding from the American Library Association to help make our library resources more accessible to our patrons. We are excited to offer these additional learning resources for the children in our community.”  

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As part of the grant, Selover Library staff will take an online course on how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. Staff will then host a conversation with children who have disabilities that create learning challenges. The purpose of the conversation is to figure out what the library should purchase with the grant funds.  

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While Selover Library has recently been enhancing their collection with new learning resources, such as Science of Reading kits, decodable readers, and educational board games, this grant will allow the library to make greater strides to help local children learn.  

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“We have wonderful schools in our community, and we want to provide resources that parents and caregivers can use to increase learning at home,” said Wall. “We want all children to have access to learning materials that will help them reach their full potential.”  

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Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees, and staff.  

​Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is an initiative of ALA in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL). 

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Posted May 28, 2026