Tiverton Library Receives $250,000 Grant Toward New Children's Wing

The following is a press release issued by the Tiverton Library Foundation:

The van Beuren Charitable Foundation has awarded the Tiverton Library Foundation a $250,000 grant for the children's wing in .

"We are so grateful to van Beuren," said Children's Librarian Janet Kosinski Linhares. "The new children’s wing will provide an open, flexible space essential for programs that will enhance children’s literacy skills, provide valuable experiences and create lifelong learners. Children who experience our 21^st century children’s library will take their knowledge, skills and excitement well past our library walls, into our community and beyond."

This support from van Beuren Charitable Foundation brings the project closer to the start of construction. With this gift, almost $3.3 million has been raised from grants, pledges and donations, about 72 percent of the fundraising goal from non-public sources.

The children's wing, as well as the entire library, is designed to be adaptable, changing as needs change in this technological and digital age, and as the population grows. Children and adults can access resources and information both on-site and remotely, use multi-media and global video-conferencing equipment, receive help with the latest mobile devices, browse for enjoyment, obtain literacy or homework assistance, and have business, social or organization meetings.

It will feature the first teen center, offer economic development resources to support local businesses and entrepreneurs, and create a digital archive of documents and artifacts from Tiverton’s long, celebrated history. 

The 23,886-square-foot facility is designed to be flexible, energy efficient and sustainable. It will be located at Bliss Four Corners, and will retire the 2,800-square-foot , which was built in 1938 when Tiverton’s population was 3,500; the current population is 15,300. The new library will be the community hub for people of all ages and walks of life.