YORK — Deb Robertson, director of York’s Kilgore Memorial Library, spoke to the York City Council on Thursday about the library’s ongoing partnerships with York Public Schools, Creighton University, Collins Aerospace and many other organizations.
Robertson said that in the recent decades librarians have been challenged to think about how the library can improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. To highlight the York library’s efforts to meet this challenge, Robertson shared information with the council about the library’s various recent partnerships and grant opportunities.
In the fall the library hosted an event on Ukraine in partnership with Creighton University. The library is now working with Creighton University archivists on a display for this summer called “fables,” Robertson said.
The library also has educational partnerships with daycare facilities around York, coordinates programming with York Public Schools and recently partnered with 4H to organize a story time focused on agriculture. Robertson shared that the library had recently adopted a calf.
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Collins Aerospace and the library have also recently been looking into possibility of a makerspace for the community, Robertson shared.
“My biggest news,” Robertson said, “is I’ve been awarded a $10,000 grant” to make the library more accessible to individuals with cognitive disabilities. She mentioned that she may be partnering with the York County Diversion Program to also create a volunteer opportunity for students in the juvenile diversion program through the grant.
In Thursday’s meeting, which lasted about 20 minutes, the City Council also approved the disposal of about $23,000 worth of surplus library materials, as part of the quarterly library clean out.
The council also authorized the city administrator to give final approval of the health insurance contract for city council employees, which will start May 1. The estimated renewal rates, which the council’s insurance committee reviewed and recommended, were favorable this year, said Denis Pfeifer, the City of York’s human resources director.
