In covering achievements in the library world, it’s natural to focus on outcomes, reporting and raising up the endpoint of success.

This story represents a win, for sure. But as Colleen Kilbreath, director of the Stanton County (KS) Public Library recalls, it stemmed from failure.

Kilbreath works closely with librarian DeAnn Gaddis at local elementary school USD 452 and is there so frequently that students “aren’t afraid of me,” she says. Despite efforts to build a similar relationship between the public library and middle and high school students, “it just didn’t go anywhere.”

Compounding the problem: There was no library at the USD 452 middle school/high school campus. There’s a physical school library space, but no one knows exactly when it went dark. The shelves house books, available by self-checkout; however, the ­collection hasn’t been maintained, much less weeded.

“I see our [high school] kids struggle,” observes Kilbreath. “They don’t know how to ask for help and don’t know where to go, and they end up dropping out.” Determined to bring research skills, an updated collection, and other resources to the community’s upper grade students, the library director set to writing a grant proposal, getting buy-in from Dave Boggs, USD 452 middle school/high school principal; the district; and her board for a plan to revitalize the school library.

Last month, Stanton County USD 452 was awarded a $30,000 grant from the American Library Association (ALA) COVID Library Relief Fund. One of 34 grant recipients representing academic, public, school, and tribal libraries nationwide, USD 452 will use the money to purchase technology, ­including laptops and MiFi hotspots to support learning; arrange for public library staff to serve at the school library; and host programs, including ­career workshops.

It’s a bright spot for the community. Located in Johnson City, a tiny rural town in southwest Kansas, the school district serves 460 students, and nearly 33 percent live in poverty. But these statistics are no excuse to not offer library services, states Kilbreath.

In her grant application, Kilbreath cited an SLJ story, “Lacking Research Skills, Students Struggle. School Librarians Can Help Solve the College ­Readiness Gap” (September 2019). Written by Wayne D’Orio, the feature revealed how students ­arrive at college lacking sufficient skills to do ­research and think critically about information.

Libraries can make a difference. Consider a 2004 study, which found that California students who came from a high school with a library had far greater success in college than kids who didn’t have a library.

Kilbreath is pleased for the chance to give local youth a solid grounding for higher ed and beyond. As someone who grew up in a small town, she says, “I want to get as many experiences for this community as I can.” Work has already begun, from considering a design for the revitalized library to a partnership to bring in librarians from Kansas State University.

Beyond everything the grant will make possible, Kilbreath has somewhat of a stealth goal for the ­middle and high school: “I want them to want a ­librarian full-time,” she says.

To learn more about the impact of school ­libraries, visit the dedicated page with links to research by state, maintained by the Colorado State Library.

Details on all of the ALA grant winners appear on the website for the COVID Library ­Relief Fund, which was ­supported by Acton Family Giving and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.