Shrewsbury Library receives grant for teens
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - The Shrewsbury Public Library has received a federal grant aimed at increasing

teen interest in library programming and operations.

Library Executive Director Ellen Dolan said the $20,000 grant will fund a two-phase teenage awareness campaign that will not only attract more teens to the library, but will encourage them to get involved with library activities and event planning through the Teen Advisory Board.

Aside from increasing teen involvement at the library, Dolan said, a portion of the funds will also be used to help teens develop their "soft works" skills, including teaching appropriate workplace behaviors and dress, organizational skills, and proper ways to communicate in a work setting.

"We're going to be partnering with Quinsigamond Community College to create fun but also informative workshops to help them develop the leadership and the soft works skills they need," Dolan said.

The grant funds are expected to be distributed this October, with teen-related programming scheduled to begin after the first of the year.

In other library news, state funding for the library renovation and expansion project has been adjusted from $3.5 to $3.9 million to include inflation costs.

Dolan said she is very excited by the increase, which comes just as the library begins quietly campaigning for corporate sponsors and foundation grants needed to meet the library's fund-raising goal.

Dolan said the library hopes to raise $1.75 million in private donations and grant money for the expansion project.

Although a campaign committee of 30 to 35 people has been working for about a year on the project, Dolan said, they are just beginning to approach area businesses and foundations.