East Chicago Public Library and Roddenbery Memorial Library selected winners of the Stephen T. Riedner Grant for Life Enhancing Library Programs for People Living with Dementia
The Stephen T. Riedner Grant for Life Enhancing Library Programs for People Living with Dementia was established in memory of Stephen T. Riedner by his wife, Mary Beth Riedner, and his sister-in law and brother-in-law, Jane and John Gallick. During his ten-year journey through a young-onset dementia, Steve’s strong spirit was always an inspiration. He was determined to maintain his identity, dignity and independence for as long as possible. He demonstrated by his example that people living with dementia deserve the same respect and consideration as every other human being.
East Chicago Public Library
“For Tails and Tales Memory Care, an educational outreach and sensory program to support East Chicago, Indiana’s community members impacted by dementia” – Award Committee statement
Tails and Tales Library will serve as a safe and quiet space for community members living with dementia as well as their caregivers. East Chicago Public Library’s staff will be trained by a member of the local Alzheimer’s Association in order to have a better understanding of serving patrons with dementia. ECPL outreach staff will partner with local nursing and rehabilitation facilities to bring them Tails (therapeutic robotic pets) and Tales (stories and memory activities). The project will leverage ongoing partnerships with the county and local organizations and provide support and education for all of those impacted by dementia in East Chicago, Indiana.
The East Chicago Public Library System is committed to meeting the diverse needs of its patrons and all of East Chicago’s citizens through the exemplary provision of a full range of high quality informational, educational and recreational materials, services, and resources. The East Chicago Public Library has two locations and serves a population of 26,099. The library provides an array of services which include cultural programs, computer classes, outreach, library instruction, and we are partnered with Neighbors’ Educational Opportunities (NEO) to provide our community with ESL and Adult Basic Education classes. East Chicago Public Library was awarded the LSTA grant in 2019, a COVID-19 grant in 2020, an ARPA grant in 2021, and a Foundations of East Chicago Programming Grant from 2016-2022.
Roddenbery Memorial Library
“For Memory CARE Corner at RML, a safe and quiet space to support Cairo’s community members impacted by dementia.” – Award Committee statement
Memory CARE Corner at Roddenbery Memorial Library will serve as a safe and quiet space for community members living with dementia as well as their caregivers. RML’s staff will be trained in order to have a better understanding of serving patrons with dementia. The space will consist of books and activity kits, information about local support available as well as customized tablets and other items and games. The project will leverage ongoing partnerships with the county and local organizations and provide support and education for all of those impacted by dementia in this small, rural community of Cairo, Grady County, Georgia.
Roddenbery Memorial Library serves 25,918 citizens of Grady County, Georgia in the SW corner of Georgia. We are a rural, agricultural community. Our library was founded in 1939 as the Cairo Public Library and in 1964 moved into our current home, built as a memorial to W.B. Roddenbery by his family and thus became Roddenbery Memorial Library. We have remodeled twice to keep up with technology and the changes it has brought about.
We are part of the Georgia Library PINES (Public Information Network for Electronic Services) system, a public library automation and lending network for 300 libraries and affiliated service outlets in 52 library systems covering 146 counties in Georgia. Two grants that we have recently been awarded are part of the Digital Library of Georgia. In 2021 we had a series of local African American oral histories, recorded in the early 1980’s, digitized and made available online. Last year we were able to digitize the first 50 years of our local newspaper and have it available online.
We have an active Youth services program, 2 adult book clubs, senior citizen art and exercise classes, piano and violin classes, and square dancing among the other normal activities of a library. We have a lovely garden area and added a butterfly garden last year, part of the Rosalyn Carter Butterfly Trail, to celebrate Rosalyn Carter’s 95th birthday.
Stephen T. Riedner Grant for Life Enhancing Library Programs for People Living with Dementia presents two grants of $2,500* each and a citation to two libraries to support the development of services and programming to directly serve those living with dementia.
The Award selection committee was Chaired by Jason Coleman.