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MCL and Merck Forest & Farmland Center Receive NEA Big Read Grant for Collaborative Community Programming

Manchester Community Library is proud to announce that it has been chosen as a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read Grant, in partnership with Merck Forest & Farmland Center in Rupert. The organizations will use the $9,600 grant award to co-sponsor a series of events aligned with the Big Read theme, Our Nature. The official kickoff for the grant-funded programming will be the Harvest Festival at Merck Forest & Farmland Center on Saturday, September 20.

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. The program provides grant funding to Libraries and other community organizations to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a diverse range of voices and perspectives, and foster stronger connections within each community. Award recipients may choose one or a variety of books from the NEA Big Read Library to inspire programming. MCL and MFFC are among 65 grant recipients across 33 states who will present programming for this year’s grant cycle theme, Our Nature: How Our Physical Environment Can Lead Us to Seek Hope, Courage, and Connection.

The two organizations have already scheduled nine Big Read events over the next several months, taking place at either the Library or at Merck Forest & Farmland Center. Events will cover topics and activities that will appeal to a wide range of participants of all ages. The extant event lineup includes expert lectures, book discussion groups, and film screenings at the MCL, as well as hands-on workshops and environmental programs at MFFC. “Community is at the heart of everything we do at MCL. At its core, our natural environment is what makes the community thrive,” said Paige Vignola, Assistant Director at Manchester Community Library. “This year’s NEA Big Read theme sparked the inspiration to work together on this project. The Library and Merck Forest & Farmland Center share a commitment to creating genuine community connections and making education accessible to all. Our partnership for the NEA Big Read programming enables us to share joy in nature and initiate meaningful conversations with a broader segment of our community.” All programming will be free and open to the public.

The NEA Big Read kickoff event, Merck Forest’s Harvest Festival, will feature forest-focused activities for the whole family, such as cider pressing, wagon rides, arts & crafts, and live music. Attendees of all ages will be able to pick up a free copy of one of the NEA Big Read books at the MCL table during the event. Books include Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (adult readers), Can You Hear the Plants Speak? by Nicholas Hummingbird (young readers), Save Our Forest by Nora Dåsnes (middle readers), and Indigenous Ingenuity by Deidre Havrelock & Edward Kay (YA readers). The festivities will take place on Saturday, September 20, from 11 am to 3 pm at Merck Forest & Farmland Center, 3270 VT-315, Rupert, VT.

The NEA Big Reads Events will take place either at Merck Forest or at the Library. View the current schedule of events below: