PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 June 2020
For more information, contact Director Dan Hutchins, 269.423.4771, ext 4103; dhutchins@vbdl.org
VBDL RECEIVES CARES GRANT
DECATUR, MICHIGAN – – – – Van Buren District Library is the recipient of a $5,000 emergency CARES grant administered by Michigan Humanities.
According to Director Dan Hutchins, funding for the grant was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan.
With CARES Act funding, VBDL was able to continue delivering educational and literacy programs to patrons of all ages while the library was closed. The offerings included early childhood education, employment search assistance, and self-education and enrichment, which advance VBDL’s mission “to provide equitable access to a world of resources, reading, and lifelong learning.”
During the shutdown period, VBDL lost an estimated $22,276 in penal fine revenue and $4,230 in copying faxing receipts. Total estimated losses equal $26,506. Hutchins says the $5,000 provided by Michigan Humanities helped greatly to alleviate those losses.
During the shutdown period, Library staff were able to, thanks in part to the Michigan Humanities grant:
- Produce 38 educational videos that were watched by 5,941 people
- Install outdoor Wi-Fi access points at five of our seven locations to provide Internet access to those who do not have it in their homes. These Wi-Fi access points were used by 2,346 individuals during the state mandated stay-at-home order.
- Continue to provide remote access e-resources including e-books, audio-visual content, and online tutoring to people living in the Library’s service area. The Library circulated 10,170 electronic items and hosted 51 remote tutoring sessions during the state mandated stay-at-home period.
Access to VBDL’s online resources are available 24/7 at VBDL.org. For more information, contact the library at 269.423.4771 or email info@vbdl.org
Van Buren District Library is headquartered in Decatur with branches in Bangor, Bloomingdale, Covert, Gobles, Lawrence and Mattawan.
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