Library recipient of COVID-19 Response grant

The Atlantic City Free Public Library was awarded a $15,000 COVID-19 Response grant by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH).
CARES Act funding, allocated to NJCH through the National Endowment for the Humanities, allowed NJCH to build a new COVID-19 Response Grant program. Announced to the public on May 1, this emergency funding was made available in two categories: General Operating Support ($5,000-20,000) and Program Support ($3,000-10,000), for New Jersey humanities organizations that experienced financial hardship due to COVID-19. The applications that were submitted reveal considerable hardships across the sector. Eighty-two organizations were awarded $649,620 in emergency COVID-19 Response Grant funding.
The grant funds the Atlantic City Library will receive are designated for General Operating Support. The grant will help the library continue to make its Atlantic City Heritage Collections accessible to the public by funding the personnel needed to staff the Heston Room, where the collections are stored.
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a significant financial impact on funding levels for the Atlantic City Free Public Library and other public libraries throughout the state. Also, as a result of the pandemic, libraries are incurring additional costs to implement necessary safety measures for staff and the public.
“The Atlantic City Historical Collections are a priceless resource for our community and researchers throughout the country,” Library Director Robert Rynkiewicz said. “This funding allows the library to provide access to the collections and continue our goal to meet the informational needs of the Atlantic City community.”