The Windgate Foundation has made a $225,000 grant to the Central Arkansas Library System, the library system announced Tuesday.
According to a news release, $100,000 from the Little Rock-based foundation will be used to hire two digital literacy coaches.
Additionally, $75,000 will be used to expand the library system's community outreach efforts and $50,000 will fund materials and personnel used to put on free visual arts classes.
In a statement included with the release, system executive director Nate Coulter called the grant "generous" and said it "enables us to meet specific strategic goals set by the library board in 2019."
"Thanks to the Windgate Foundation, CALS staff will be eliminating some barriers for people on the wrong side of the digital divide, enriching patrons' lives through art, and extending the educational resources of the library into underserved communities," Coulter said. "All of this serves our broad mission to help people reach their potential."
The news release from the library system noted the 2019-2022 strategic plan's goal of reaching underserved individuals, which led to the hiring of community liaisons to work on outreach to Black and Hispanic communities.
The grant money will turn an outreach van into the "CALS Micro Mobile Library," giving it the ability to lend items, issue library cards and provide printing capabilities as well as Internet access, the library system said.
Written materials will undergo a "large-scale" English-Spanish translation effort, the news release said.
The library system plans to enhance its visual arts programming with an increased budget for supplies and instructors.
"Classes will include general art lessons offered virtually along with free classes offered onsite at fourteen branches," the news release said.
Wrightsville's Millie Brooks MicroLibrary will get support from the grant for that library's community garden initiative, among other programs.
Digital literacy coaches who are able to offer technology assistance one-on-one also will be underwritten by the foundation's money.
These coaches will supplement existing virtual technology classes with an eye to serving patrons who may be unable to access those classes, according to the library system.
Digital coaches will be assigned to branches where the need is greatest, the news release said.
The announcement of the grant from the foundation comes ahead of the library system's tax referendum in Little Rock scheduled for Nov. 9.
Library officials have asked voters in Little Rock to approve a property-tax increase of 0.5 mill to support the system's operations. If approved, the library system's millage rate in Little Rock would increase from 3.3 to 3.8 mills.