Mountain Top Library (N.Y.) and Pottsboro (Texas) Library Awarded ALA’s Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its sixth annual Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant to Mountain Top Library (N.Y.) and Pottsboro (Texas) Library. The winning libraries will use the grant to create a collaborative, modern town map and launch a local civic engagement series.

The $2,000 annual grant assists school, public, academic, tribal and special libraries in initiating or enhancing community engagement endeavors. Each year, these grants facilitate community engagement projects centered around a particular theme. In 2025, libraries submitted proposals concentrated on building neighborhood connections.

The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant is made possible by former ALA president and longtime generous supporter Nancy Kranich, supplemented by donors to ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund. The grant selection committee comprises a chair and four ALA members appointed by ALA's Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee (PCPAC).

“The core of these library projects reflects a deep understanding and connection to the communities they serve,” stated Nancy Kranich. “Mountain Top Library and Pottsboro Library stand out in building neighborhood connections and prove how libraries transform communities. I congratulate both libraries, chosen from a large and competitive group of proposals.”

Mountain Top Library in Tannersville, New York, will use the grant for a project called “Putting Hunter on the Map.” As a small community within the Catskill Forest Preserve, the local economy is primarily driven by tourism. The map project will involve collaborative design, printing and distribution of a modern map of the entire town of Hunter. Inspired by the upcoming 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, the library aims for the map to serve as a modern and historical reference for locals and visitors. The map project will be a community-wide effort combined with a series of local historical programs.

Pottsboro (Texas) Library will use the grant to launch a three-session civic engagement series. The series will educate and empower residents to understand local government and help participants gain the knowledge and confidence to engage in local governance using expert-led discussion, real-world case studies and hands-on activities. The program will make civic education engaging, relevant, and ultimately community-driven.

“Mountain Top Library and Pottsboro Library expressed a desire for increased engagement and collaboration,” said Miguel Ruiz, committee chair and librarian supervisor at Arlington (Va.) Public Library. “These two projects epitomize the grant’s theme of building neighborhood connections in ways that fit the unique needs of their communities. The grant committee looks forward to seeing the projects come to fruition.”

Support future Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grants by contributing to ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund.

To stay informed about future grants and awards offered by ALA’s Public Programs Office, sign up for the Programming Librarian e-newsletter.

About the ALA Public Programs Office

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office empowers libraries to create vibrant hubs of learning, conversation, and connection in communities of all types.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.