LOR Foundation and the American Library Association Support Census Efforts in the Rural Mountain West

Washington, DC, April 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The LOR Foundation joined the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2020 Census efforts and contributed $50,000 to the Library Census Equity Fund. COVID-19 has forced many libraries to close, creating a void of support and services in communities, including those focused on the census. The LOR Foundation’s grant will be distributed to rural libraries in New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana and support activities that help achieve a complete count before the newly extended census deadline of August 15, 2020. “The COVID-19 crisis and the Federal response underscores the importance of an accurate Census to meet community needs,” said Gary Wilmot, executive director at LOR. “A complete count matters when disaster strikes—and when it’s business as usual. Local libraries play an important role in ensuring that awareness is high and the count is complete. LOR is proud to support that important goal.” In December 2019, ALA awarded 59 Library Census Equity Fund mini-grants, based on available funding at the time. More than 500 libraries across the country had submitted applications for the mini-grants. LOR and ALA will now award additional grants to libraries in rural communities within the Mountain West. The selection process is underway and an announcement will be made in the coming weeks. ALA and LOR will work with this next class of library grant recipients to help navigate this new climate and adopt innovative solutions, like the use of virtual platforms, to benefit census efforts. ALA helps support libraries across the country in a number of ways. They created a suite of resources for libraries supporting a fair, inclusive, and complete count in the 2020 Census. To learn more, visit ala.org/census and follow the conversation on social media with #CountOnLibraries. About LOR: LOR works with rural communities in the Mountain West to enhance livability and prosperity while preserving the character that makes each community unique. No two rural towns are the same nor are the projects we support. We listen to communities to better understand what they need and how we can help. ###