By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton/Clanton Public Library system has received $10,000 to purchase books to add to its juvenile biography collection.

The library was selected to receive a Library Services and Technology Act grant provided to the Alabama Public Library Service by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“We’re so excited,” Chilton/Clanton Public Library director Savannah Kitchens said. “These books will be purchased at the beginning of 2019, and will be distributed across each of the three Chilton County library branches: Clanton, Jemison and Maplesville.”

The library will receive $8,000 in federal funds and $2,000 in a local match made possible by the City of Clanton, a private anonymous donor and Peoples Southern Bank.

“We got the full amount we requested and can’t wait to get started on using the money to improve our juvenile biography sections,” Kitchens said.

An assessment of the collection was completed, and library staff found the average copyright date of the current juvenile biographies collection is 1971.

“With these much-needed funds, we’ll be able to provide new, accurate, and interesting biographies perfect for kids working on school projects, or just looking to learn more about interesting people in history,” Kitchens said.

In addition to adding more recent biographies, the library hopes to have “more women (and) more ethnicities represented,” Kitchens said.

Specific titles will be chosen by reading reviews from reputable sources and looking at the specific needs of the libraries.

Library Services and Technology Act grants are awarded each year and is open to application from any library in Alabama.

“Librarians receive a lot of information and training on how to make a good application from the Alabama Public Library Service, a state agency which is there to provide support and services to public libraries across the state,” Kitchens said.