By Marlana Smith
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft visited the Shelbina Carnegie Library on Wednesday, August 25 to acknowledge their efforts to make Missouri communities a better place to work and live.
Library Director Christina Bartholomew gave Ashcroft a tour of the library and he visited with a group of community members.
Missouri has over 360 libraries that serve individuals in many ways. With limited budgets, libraries strive to innovate and update to best serve the needs of the community.
Over the past year, the Missouri State Library – a division of the Missouri Secretary of State’s office, has distributed over $6,000,000 in grants to libraries in the state who have requested project funding. These funds come from ARPA, and CARES monies offered through federal programs.
According to Bartholomew, the library received $2,600 the State held back due to COVID in March. The money must be used for technology or book collections.
“Plans are in place to use these funds to purchase a point-of-sale system that tells patrons their savings per visit, per year and lifetime,” said Bartholomew.
Bartholomew and the library board believe this will increase public awareness of the savings libraries afford to its patrons.
“A library is a place where communities can gather, where parents can find engaging and educational programs for their children, where a student can connect to the internet and find a world of resources and opportunity – anyone can find a quiet space to get work done or just relax with a good book,” said Ashcroft.
Ashcroft also visited libraries in Clark, Knox, Lewis, Marion and Scotland County.
