Thirty-nine small public libraries across the Western United States are receiving a combined total of $220,050 in new grants, announced the John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation. These libraries, spanning Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah, collectively serve more than 247,000 individuals in rural communities, with populations ranging from 180 to 17,310 residents.

Six of New Mexico’s rural public libraries recently received grant funding to expand programming and services offered to children.

A national foundation that gives grants to rural libraries recently awarded the Ainsworth Memorial Library in Sandy Creek $5,000 for supporting children’s literacy programs.