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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