IPSWICH, Mass. — June 29, 2021 — EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) has selected its four 2021 EBSCO Solar Grant Winners. Hazel Park District Library in Hazel Park, Michigan; Medford Public Library in Medford, Massachusetts; College of Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wisconsin; and the Virgin Islands Montessori School in St, Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, will each receive an EBSCO Solar Grant to pay for the installation of a solar array. The grants offset the cost of installing solar panels and allow the libraries to reduce their electricity expenditures.
Hazel Park District Library in Hazel Park, Michigan will be utilizing solar arrays to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve sustainability goals, including a rainwater collection system, architectural ultraviolet films on windows, a bicycle-borrowing program and office pods for public use.
Hazel Park District Library Director, Corrine Stocker says that the grant will have a cascading effect on the community. “By reducing our reliance on the electrical grid, this grant will allow us to save a tremendous amount of money on energy costs. The savings will be used to implement additional programs, services and materials for our residents. Our ultimate goal is to empower the residents of our community by enriching their quality of life and expanding the resources to which they have access. Without this grant, we would not be able to realize this vision.”
Medford Public Library in Medford, Massachusetts, started the Medford Public Library Foundation in 2018 to solicit, manage and monitor private funds raised for the construction, outfitting, maintenance and operation of the Medford Public Library. One of the foundation’s projects was to support the library’s sustainability goals through the installation of solar arrays.
Executive Director of the Medford Public Library Foundation, Holly Sargent, says, "This grant will greatly boost our campaign to underwrite the photovoltaic panel array to be installed on the roof of the new Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library. This community–supported effort will make the building the first net zero public library in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
College of Menominee Nation is located in Keshena, Wisconsin. The mission of the S. Verna Fowler Academic Library/Menominee Public Library is to reflect the sustainability values of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and the College of Menominee Nation by setting an example for the community and by being an advocate for the environment.
President of College of Menominee Nation, Christopher Caldwell, says the EBSCO Solar Grant is part of a larger College of Menominee Nation 2016 Climate Action Plan. “The College plans to reduce emissions until it becomes a carbon neutral facility. Installing solar panels on the library roof is the ideal next step to see this plan come to fruition. EBSCO Solar will allow the library to serve as a sustainability model to the community and spark interest in solar energy within and around the reservation.”
Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) in St, Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands is looking to use the installation of solar panels to become more sustainable during inclement weather that often hits the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Head of School, Michael Bornn, says that “VIMSIA has always been on the leading edge of sustainability in the Virgin Islands - we are so grateful for this opportunity presented to us by EBSCO. It would not be a truly modern learning commons without renewable energy. We are excited to begin the process of enhancing our library with the help of the EBSCO grant.”
For more information on EBSCO Solar, visit www.ebsco.com/solar.
About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. EBSCO Information Services is a division of EBSCO Industries, Inc., a family owned company since 1944. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: www.ebsco.com.
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Kathleen McEvoy
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