LANSING, Mich. — Senator Ray Basham (D-Taylor) announced today that the Library of Michigan has awarded $25,028 in federal funding to the Riverview Public Library as part of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The $25,028 is paired with $4,000 in local funds totaling $29,028 that will be used to further Riverview’s “Library Immigration Connection Center” program.

“This grant not only acknowledges the Riverview Public Library for their creative efforts to help engage and serve immigrants in our community, but it also cites the program as a model that can benefit others around the state,” said Sen. Basham. “Programs like this are essential as we continue to work hard to make our state a destination for people from across the country and around the world, and I will continue do my best to continue to support state aid for library funding that makes projects like these possible.”

The “Library Immigration Connection Center” program was developed to help Hispanic and Albanian immigrants participate in English and Transition to American Life classes and adult education and computer training workshops. LSTA funding targets unique programs that reach out to populations in need, and this award was given in recognition of the Riverview Public Library’s “innovative methods” used to reach out to immigrants.

The Riverview library will also use this to produce a project manual that other libraries will be able to use to create and develop similar programs in their own communities. The manual will allow the “Library Immigration Connection Center” program to benefit the entire state.

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