Zelienople Library seeks grant for outdoor learning space
ZELIENOPLE — Zelienople Area Public Library is submitting a Library Keystone Grant proposal for $515,000 to go toward an outdoor learning campus.
The proposed area would be located next to the library building and linked with a walkway. It could then house programs for children, teens and adults all year long, according to library director Cyndi Peluso. More parking spaces would be added as well.
Borough council voted to sign off on the proposal during a meeting on Monday, Oct. 27, as the grant requires a municipality to authorize the request, Peluso said.
The organization plans to submit the proposal by Nov. 10, with the help of a grant writer, library board president Gina Elliott said.
The idea was developed when a nearby vacant lot was donated to the library “several years ago,” Elliott said.
The organization then held a capital funding campaign and raised $515,000 toward the new space, she claimed. The library is now asking for a library-specific state grant to match the amount.
If funded, she said the project can begin next spring with a bidding process for construction.
“I’m hoping we can get the grant match,” Elliott said. “The scope of the project would be more robust.”
The outdoor learning campus project was influenced by opinions expressed in a library survey two years ago, Peluso said during the meeting.
“Having the additional space was something that we think will benefit everyone in the community,” she said.
Peluso cited Zelienople’s growing population as a reason for library growth. She said programs are well-attended, including a recent event with more than 65 attendees.
“More children are coming in, too,” she said. “I’m signing so many people up for library cards.”
Council President Gregg Semel said a previous library director told him the organization sees 50 to 60 people each day in foot traffic and noted the building is over 50 years old.
“I hope the grant gods are kind to us,” he said during the meeting.
