On Wednesday, May 3, Congressman James McGovern joined dozens of Jones Library supporters to celebrate the receipt of a $1 million challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Additional speakers included State Rep. Mindy Domb, Amherst Town Councilor Anika Lopes, Library Director Sharon Sharry, and Library Trustees President Austin Sarat.
The largest of twenty-four NEH Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants given nationwide, the NEH grant will leverage funds to create a Humanities Center on the ground floor of the renovated and expanded Jones Library, including:
The purpose of the Humanities Center is to create a facility that can serve broader audiences with these collections and programs. From creating engaging exhibits from our Special Collections that make local history artifacts more visible and accessible to young people to providing program spaces for the Library and community partners to bring the community together, these purpose-built spaces will enable the Library to serve as the fulcrum for broader community-wide humanities events such as performances and lectures by community partners such as the Emily Dickinson Museum, Poetry and Art Walks, the Juneteenth celebration, and more.
In this grant round, NEH awarded 24 capacity building challenge grants nationally. NEH reviewers rated the Jones Library’s application with the highest marks. One reviewer commented, "This proposal and the project Amherst is working towards are excellent. They clearly identify challenges, offer well-thought-out plans to address them, and create positive impact to the community while doing so. They've made a very compelling case for funding."
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov, including a list of all 2023 NEH Grant Awards and Offers (PDF).
ABOUT THE JONES LIBRARY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
A project of the non-profit Friends of the Jones Libraries, the Jones Library Capital Campaign (JLCC) is raising funds to renovate and expand the historic Jones Library building. Combined with other fundraising commitments, including over $2.3 million from the community, the JLCC has secured over $5.79 million for the renovation and expansion as of May 1, 2023. The JLCC contributions are in addition to the $15.8 million committed by the Town of Amherst and the $13.8 million grant from the MA Board of Library Commissioners.
When complete, the renovation and expansion will make the Jones Library one of the most climate-friendly buildings in Amherst, restoring most of the original 1928 building, expanding programming space to meet current and emerging needs for all ages and multiple populations, while improving the layout to be fully accessible for people with disabilities and more functional for everyone.
