MONKTON — Russell Memorial Library in Monkton was among the 12 Vermont and New Hampshire libraries to receive a 2021-2022 Rural Libraries grant  from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF).

The program is for public libraries in New Hampshire and Vermont in towns with a population of 5,000 or fewer. It provides two storytelling presentations by CLiF’s Vermont and New Hampshire authors/illustrators and storytellers, new books for the public library, new books for the local elementary school library, a mini-grant for library programming, and new books for children to pick out for themselves.

The Rural Libraries grant program will kick-off with the first of two storytelling sessions this fall. The goals of the program are to improve access to high-quality children’s and young adult literature, to update libraries’ collections and increase circulation/use, and strengthen the connection between libraries and their communities.