Glenn Miller, Deputy Secretary & Commissioner for Libraries
5.19 Million in Keystone Grants Awarded
I am very pleased to announce on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Education that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be awarding 18 municipalities in 15 counties with $5.19 million in Keystone grants to improve their local libraries. The grants, ranging from a low of $25,000 to a high of $750,000, will help support significant library building improvements. All grants will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Library Projects
Please join me in congratulating the following libraries:
| County | Municipality | Project Library | Award | Brief Project Description |
| Allegheny | Braddock Borough | Braddock Carnegie Library Association | $750,000 | Install efficient temperature control system including new HVAC, thermal/moisture control, and rehab/securing of all windows, doors, stairwells, shafts. |
| Allegheny | Richland Township | Northern Tier Regional Library Association | $38,580 | Make entrance doors automatic; install efficient lighting in program area; new flooring and paint in main library. |
| Allegheny | Township of Upper St. Clair | Upper St. Clair Township Library | $750,000 | Reconfigure and increase library space in shared facility. |
| Armstrong | Kittanning Borough | Kittanning Free Library | $28,976 | Upgrade lighting; upgrade flooring; upgrade security system. |
| Berks | Borough of Leesport | Schuylkill Valley Community Library | $134,712 | Construct addition, replace roof, upgrade entrance for ADA, add restrooms. |
| Chester | County of Chester | Chester County Library & District Center | $387,500 | Renovate first floor for accessibility, adding public workspaces and seating; combine service desks. |
| Clarion | Clarion Borough | Clarion Free Library | $105,385 | Replace boiler; ADA upgrades to sidewalks, entry doors, restrooms. |
| Dauphin | Dauphin County | Dauphin Co Lib Sys: McCormick Riverfront Lib. | $750,000 | Full library renovation incorporating newly-acquired adjacent building. |
| Erie | Erie County | Erie County Public Library: Millcreek Branch | $25,000 | Hire consultant for needs assessment / feasibility study for relocating branch. |
| Huntingdon | Huntingdon County | Huntingdon County Library | $48,650 | Replace elevator. |
| Indiana | Burrell Township | Burrell Township Library | $229,000 | Construct new library facility. |
| Lackawanna | Lackawanna County | Lackawanna Cty Lib Sys: Abington Comm Lib Assoc | $49,150 | Renovate and expand kitchen facilities in community room. |
| Mercer | Town of Greenville | Greenville Area Public Library | $75,000 | Replace boiler; replace roof; upgrade lighting. |
| Montgomery | Souderton Borough | Indian Valley Public Library | $97,480 | Roof replacement. |
| Montgomery | Upper Moreland Township | Upper Moreland Free Public Library | $70,457 | Make 2 emergency exits ADA compliant. |
| Somerset | Borough of Somerset | Mary S. Biesecker Public Library | $241,799 | Improve entrance steps / sidewalks for accessibility; install solar canopy parking structure; interior plaster, tile and flooring. |
| Warren | Warren County | Warren Public Library, aka Warren Lib Assoc | $659,697 | Create teen space and maker spaces; add ADA entrance doors; reconfigure restrooms; upgrade signage; update elevator; upgrade HVAC; upgrade lighting; install security cameras. |
| Westmoreland | City of Greensburg | Greensburg Hempfield Area Library | $748,145 | Rebuild restrooms for ADA; build service counters; improve mechanical systems and life safety systems. |
About the Keystone Grant Program
The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund was established by an act of the General Assembly in 1993. The Department of Education, through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Bureau of Library Development, administers the public library portion of this program which is funded from a portion of the state’s realty transfer tax.
Grants pay up to 50 percent of eligible costs in planning, acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public libraries. Examples of fundable projects include, but are not limited to: ADA upgrades, new roof, replacement windows, energy efficient upgrades to HVAC systems, facility expansion and new construction.
A competitive grant application process is used to award matching facilities grants to municipalities that sponsor state-aided public libraries. To be eligible, the sponsoring municipality and the board of the state-aided library must jointly submit an application developed cooperatively by both entities and signed by their governing bodies. The Keystone grant requires a dollar-for-dollar match.
We anticipate a next round of Keystone grant opportunities in 2021.
Glenn
Glenn R. Miller | Deputy Secretary & Commissioner for Libraries
Pennsylvania Department of Education | Office of Commonwealth Libraries
333 Market St. | Harrisburg, PA 17101-2210
Phone: 717-783-2466 | www.statelibrary.pa.gov
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This communication is issued on the Deputy Secretary’s behalf by Carrie Cleary, Executive Assistant (ccleary@pa.gov; 717-783-5725)