Waverly is one step closer to seeing a new main library. The Garnet A. Wilson Public Library of Pike County has received a $300,000 Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars to help build their humanities capacity and infrastructure. Since its creation in 1965, NEH has awarded more than $5.6 billion for humanities projects through more than 64,000 grants.
Natosha Massie, Director of the Garnet A. Wilson Public Library says, “The library has been raising funds to build the new main library facility since 2015. The community has shown tremendous support of the project and, as of now, nearly $1.1M has been received or pledged during the campaign. This grant will get us that much closer to seeing the new library constructed.”
According to Capital Campaign Manager Jennifer Wright, the grant is a 3:1 match, so the library will need to raise $900,000 over the course of nearly six years. “The public library is a huge asset to the community and everyone is excited to be able to enhance the library and its services to such a degree. We believe that receiving this grant will encourage more contributions from residents and businesses. Contributing to the building of a public library has positive, longstanding effects for years to come, and will aid the residents of Pike County for generations.”
The Garnet A. Wilson public library was founded in 1939 as the Pike County Free Public Library. It has been in its current location on the corner of Market St. and Emmitt Ave since 1985, thanks to the generosity of J.B. Wilson, a prominent Pike County businessman. While the current building has served the community well, changes are occurring in the use of public libraries due to growth in technology and the diverse needs of library patrons and communities, thus the imperativeness of a new facility. This grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities will help make the new facility reality.
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
