OLDS - Area libraries will be receiving grant funding through the provincial Community Adult Learning Program (CALP), officials said.
The Olds Municipal Library, Didsbury Municipal Library, Carstairs Municipal Library, Cremona Municipal Library and Sundre Municipal Library have been jointly awarded the CALP grant for the Mountain View County area.
The grant totals about $90,000 annually from 2024 to 2027. The funds will be distributed to each library on a per capita basis.
“This substantial grant will support the collaborative efforts of all five libraries to expand and enrich community programs and services geared to adult learning across the region,” Lesley Moody, library manager at Olds Municipal Library, said in a recent news release.
The grant program supports organizations that offer part-time, non-formal learning opportunities that are close to where individuals live, she said.
“CALP programs may support literacy and numeracy improvement or the improvement of language, basic digital skills, English language learning, and skills for life,” she said.
The partnership between these libraries was selected for their capacity and previously established work in providing many of these targeted adult literacy services and promoting literacy and access to information,” she said.
“We are incredibly honoured to receive the CALP grant,” she said, speaking on behalf of all partnering libraries. “This funding will enable us to strengthen our collaborative programs and services, reach more community members and foster a shared love of learning and discovery.”
The funds from the program will be used to expand digital literacy training and support, implement new English language learning programs, enhance current financial literacy programs, and further develop resume and career development programs, she said.
“These initiatives will aim to develop literacy skills in adult learners to help them get and use information effectively, and to use those skills to help improve their life, for example by helping make more informed choices about household finances or work,” she said.
“Planning for these programs is now underway with program delivery expected to begin in the early fall.”
The grant funding will allow the local libraries to “push the boundaries of library services to adult learners in their areas, ensuring that all community members have access to the literacy and numeracy resources and opportunities they need to thrive,” she said.
