Over the years, the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative has addressed this challenge by offering funding opportunities through an approachable, straightforward, and simplified application process. Because of this, many LTC libraries are first-time grantees. To learn more about their experiences, Knology (ALA’s research partner) recently looked into a set of survey responses from 16 libraries in the current LTC Access cohort that had not received any grants prior to this initiative. We found that their accomplishments were often indistinguishable from libraries who had received prior grants. Like their more experienced counterparts, first-time grantees succeeded in improving attitudes toward disability, increasing the accessibility of their spaces and services, and becoming change-makers within their communities. Beyond that, they generated internal momentum, built legitimacy, and were empowered to seek out future grants.
The following discussion details the significant strides first-time grantees took toward catalyzing positive change within their communities.
Making More Accessible Services and Spaces
Through their projects, first-time grantees acquired the skills and knowledge needed to become more accessible institutions. One library explained how their grant helped them become “literate in the struggles” of people with disabilities, while another credited LTC funding with helping them figure out “what accessibility really means.” In the process of becoming “more cognizant” of the needs of patrons with disabilities, first-time grantees discovered a number of “little ways to improve access”—including better signage, the installation of sensory-sensitive rooms and items, and more effective communication practices. Speaking to the last of these improvements, one first-time grantee talked about how the training they participated in
gave me confidence to approach conversations with patrons in a way that acknowledges the full humanity in all of us, without fear of saying the wrong thing or offending someone for something I don't yet understand or know. That is truly empowering when it comes to working with the public.
Along the same lines, staff at another library said that LTC funding had helped them discover methods of interaction that “provide a more positive overall experience” for patrons with disabilities.
At the same time, these libraries indicated that their projects had helped make accessibility a core focus of their work—something to be integrated into their day-to-day operations. “Because of the grant,” one said, “accessibility issues are routinely discussed when making decisions.” At another library, staff shared how the grant process similarly “broadened our scope” around accessibility, so that now this is “something we have in mind whenever we are making purchasing, programming, and building changes.”
Improving Attitudes Toward Disability
As a result of their work, first-time grantees also found that attitudes toward disability had improved—both among staff members and library users. Twelve of the sixteen libraries (75%) in our survey noticed positive attitudinal changes, and many spoke to how these shifts were helping drive their accessibility work forward. One said that disability and accessibility were now “topics of open conversation among staff,” while another shared how the disability rights slogan “nothing about us without us” would now “always stay in my head moving forward.”
In many cases, having a more positive attitude helped give first-time grantees “a larger goal to work towards together”—whether it be more frequent communication and interaction with disabled community members, brainstorming more effective ways to “get input from those we want our library to be more accessible to,” or simply being more attentive to existing barriers. One library said they had “become more aware and more focused on making sure things around the library remain accessible,” noting the increased frequency with which staff are “pushing in chairs and picking things off the floor that could cause an inability to access” spaces freely. Another said that their comfort level in speaking with individuals with disabilities “has increased,” pointing to the fact that there are now “more conversations happening” along with “efforts to learn names.”
Building Internal Momentum
First-time grantees often came away from their grants with a strong sense of positive momentum. The act of receiving a grant provided tangible evidence that change is both possible and financially attainable. For communities where “there’s no money” is a persistent refrain, the award countered that narrative and demonstrated that external funding can be secured. Along with that, many reported that receiving a grant had opened their eyes to other areas where improvements could be made, helping them “orient goals” and build understanding of how to drive meaningful change well into the future.
Importantly, these shifts in perception translated into concrete actions. Seventy-five percent of first-time grantees had already applied for another grant at the time the survey was conducted. Thirty-one percent had both applied for and received a second award, and 88 percent reported plans to pursue additional funding in the future. When asked how helpful the LTC grant was in providing the knowledge, skills, or confidence to apply for future grants, the 14 libraries that responded to this survey question answered decisively in the affirmative (mean rating = 0.95 on a 0–1 scale, with 1 indicating “extremely helpful”).
Becoming a Community Leader
First-time grantees also succeeded in repositioning their libraries within the community. One described how developing a deeper awareness of the experiences of patrons with disabilities strengthened trust and increased community engagement. Another emphasized how successfully implementing programming—and being recognized as a valuable local resource—led to closer partnerships, including stronger relationships with local schools.
In all these cases, the external validation of receiving a grant functioned as a “small vote of confidence” that shifted perceptions beyond the library walls. Some noted changes in the tone of Board meetings, while others described how the project influenced broader community improvements, such as sidewalk and street-crossing repairs. In one town, the library’s work even set an example, prompting others to recognize needed accessibility improvements, thereby “changing the tone in the community."
Taken together, these findings suggest that a single, accessible grant experience can catalyze lasting changes in confidence, capacity, and community connection.
About This Article
This article was written by Knology, and is part of a series of blog posts exploring how libraries are using LTC Access funds to better meet the needs of patrons with disabilities. For other posts in this series (including case studies of individual libraries), take a look at Knology’s landing page on the LTC Access project. And for more on how libraries can become more accessible to patrons with disabilities, see the collection of resources Knology assembled.
Does your library have a story to tell about its own accessibility work? Please reach out to us at programminglibrarian@ala.org to share your experiences!
