The Parker Town Council approved the acceptance of three grants for the Parker Public Library at their June 1 meeting. They are all parts of library improvement plans announced earlier by Library Director Tracy McConnell.

All three grants are Library Services and Technology grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The first two are for a planned outdoor reading area. The third is for increasing the number of Spanish-language materials in the library’s collection.

The third grant is $4,000 to expand the Spanish-language and bilingual collection at the library. McConnell explained such materials currently make up just 1 percent of the library’s collection. She noted a survey done in 2019 showed 24 percent of Town of Parker residents speak only Spanish in their homes.

McConnell said that, once they receive the money, 70 percent of it will be used to purchase bilingual children’s books, Spanish books from the “best sellers” list, and books that have been requested by their Spanish-speaking patrons.

Read more here: Parker Pioneer