Lincoln Pelham Library gets $146,000 grant from Province

The recently amalgamated Lincoln Pelham Public Library system is implementing a serious tech boost, thanks to a $146,900 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s (OTF) Resilient Communities Fund.

The grant, originally award to the Town of Pelham back in April, is aimed at increasing the self-service book lending at the libraries.

“The Town of Pelham and the Lincoln Pelham Public Library is very fortunate to be able to have received this support to provide improved library services at the Pelham area branches,” said Amy Guilmette, Lincoln Pelham Public Library, Director of Customer Experience.

“The addition of the RFID (radio frequency identification) technology initiative will continue to allow for increased library access for the community.”

The joint library service will rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 by renovating lending areas, purchasing new equipment and technology to improve services and increase safety and access to library resources.

“It will create permanent and safe 24/7 access to the libraries’ lending materials. The installation will include lending machines, selfcheckouts inside each library, and RFID technology to enable these services,” said the library in a release.

The lending machines, similar to vending machines, will enable users to access library materials 24/7 at times convenient for them, minimizing contact and significantly increasing access to library resources.