Sunday, November 16, 2014

ECPL Library Grant #2

Etowah Carnegie Public Library Grant
Laura A. Murray
University of Tennessee Knoxville
School of Information Sciences


Etowah Carnegie Public Library Grant

The Etowah Carnegie Public library in East Tennessee serves a rural population of 3,490 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). With a small annual budget of only $76,000, Etowah Carnegie Public Library is able to serve its patrons with books, ebooks, summer reading programs, 11 computers, wireless internet, and many others (ECPL, 2014).  The nearest library in Athens, Tennessee is twenty minutes away with no public transportation between the two towns. The city of Etowah is comprised of 60% families and a significant population over 65 years of age (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, para 5). 
            Problem
[Why does their condition give rise to the need?]
The Etowah Carnegie Public Library (ECPL) is the hub of activity for Etowah citizens who are unable to afford internet or computer access. According to library director Lorie Waters, many patrons use the computers to search and apply for jobs, explore healthcare options, file their taxes, and apply for services (L. Waters, personal communication, August 23, 2014).  However, the library has a serious problem with access.  There are twenty-two treacherous steps to the only entrance into the library (ECPL, 2014). There is no handicapped access and no easily traversed access. The twenty-two steps are steep with only minimal handrails. Anyone in a wheelchair, on crutches, using a walker or any ambulation problems is unable to enter the library. 
Solution

This grant will provide the ECPL with the funding it needs to build an addition: an exterior deck with a handicap ramp and safer steps and outdoor reading area. Etowah Carnegie Public Library is in a lovely, but historic building that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 (ECPL, 2014).  Because of this, the façade of the building cannot be altered (Grimmer & Weeks, 2014). The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation states that   “a property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment,” in order to determine whether a historic building can accommodate this change (Grimmer & Weeks, 2014, para. 15).  Statute (9) states that
New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. (para. 17)

Evidence of Need
[How can the library or information-related setting help? Why is the library or information-related setting well suited to serve this group and its specific need?]

There are four specific target groups this change will affect:  Veterans, the disabled, the over 65 population and families with children under 6. Each of these groups would benefit significantly with better access. Veterans, the disabled and the elderly may have difficulty will ambulation. Families with small children either carry a car seat, stroller, or precariously carry children up the steps. Many of the patrons in these groups cannot enter the building.
 Etowah has 315 veterans, 47 of which are disabled (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).  According to the National Defense Research Institutes Recent Trends in Veteran Unemployment (2007), disabled veterans are much less likely to find work. By using the library computers and internet these veterans can utilize the Disability Transition Assistance and receive assistance going back to working in the world after returning from deployment (Savych, Klerman, & Loughran, 2007). Even able-bodied veterans returning to work have a high rate of unemployment (Savych et al., 2007). These services are vital, especially since most of the Tennessee State Career Centers across the state have been closed in the last few years (Several TN Career Centers to Close, 2013).  Our veterans also need access to accurate information about health care.  The Veterans Administration, Social Security, and Healthcare.gov are all websites these patrons should have regular access to. The library may be the only place they can go.

[What is the general nature of the benefit the target group, and as a result the community, will receive? What are the outcomes? In other words, justify the service to be provided and the library or information-related setting’s role in providing it.]
Altogether Etowah has 516 residents who are considered disabled, and 30% the families in Etowah make less than $25,000 per year (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, para. 13).   This significant unemployment rate especially effects single mothers with young children (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010).  The library is vital to these citizens. They need access to the library and their career services, early reading programs, access to online tax forms and state and federal websites.  If they cannot get into the building, they cannot get to the services.

Obstacles
[What obstacles (social, cultural, and institutional) stand in the way of their satisfying that need?]
             At this time, ECPL does not have the funding it requires to build this addition.  This grant application is the impetus and inspiration for creating a plan. The building is an historical building and has specific limitations in what can be altered on the façade. A 5-year plan is still in development.  This plan includes how and when to obtain permits; project management; architectural plans; a list of potential contractors; and potential community business donors for building materials. Because this plan is still in development, the ECPL will be required to more clearly outline exactly how the grant money will be spent.  Also, the ECPL will need to create a plan to demonstrate the accomplishments that result from the utilization of this grant.


Community Support
The ECPL has many supporters in the community.  The Friends of the Library has started fundraising for the front access build and has agreed to help match funding with any grants applied for (Friends of the Library, 2014). Walden Blair and Associates, PLLC has offered also to match funding (R. Blair, personal communication, August 2, 2014).  The Etowah Amvets Post (2014) has pledged to raise $5,000 over the next two years.   The Etowah Arts Commission and the Parks and Recreation Department have agreed to help support with marketing (L. Waters, personal communication, August 23, 2014). These community organizations will serve as allies to the ECPL to help get the front porch built and engender community support across the board.
Conclusion
            The Etowah Carnegie Public Library is a supportive entity in Etowah and residents rely heavily on the services it provides.  The ECPL can show ample need for this grant funding. The ECPL has garnered lots of community support. However, their plans are not quite yet ready. The library staff and director are dedicated to this endeavor and have carved out time alongside the Friends of the Library and other community supporters. If the ECPL expects to be successful in receiving this grant, their plans will need to be clearly drawn out and share the breakdown of how the funding will be used as well as a plan to assess the impact in the long run.



References
Amvets. (2014). Amvets: About us. Retrieved from www.amvets.org/about
Etowah Carnegie Library. (2014). About us. Retrieved from http://www.etowahlibrary.com/about-us
Friends of the Library. (2014). Friends of Etowah Carnegie Library: happenings past current and future. Retrieved from http://www.etowahlibrary.com/friends-of-the-library/newsletter
Grimmer, A. E. & Weeks, K. D. (2014). Preservation brief 14: New exterior additions to historic buildings: Preservation concerns. [National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior]. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/14-exterior-additions.htm#incompatible
Savych, B., Klerman, J. A., Loughran, D.S. (2007). Recent trends in veteran unemployment as measured in the current population survey and the American Community Survey. [Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense] Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2008/RAND_TR485.pdf
Several TN Career Centers to Close. (2013, April 9). Several TN Career Centers to Close. Retrieved from http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Several-TN-Career-Centers-to-Close-203820451.html

U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). 2010 Census interactive population search: Etowah city, TN. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=47:4724480

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