ELKINS — The Elkins-Randolph County Public Library will receive a $3,000 grant and free training from a national nonprofit organization.

The American Library Association is awarding a Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries Grant to support community engagement projects.

“We are so excited to be able to provide a platform not only for learning, but also for communication,” said Stephanie Murphy, director of the Elkins-Randolph County Public Library.

The grant money will be used to purchase equipment for a podcast booth to be installed at the library. Patrons will be able to book the use of the room and equipment, take broadcasting classes, produce their own podcasts, and learn about modern communication technology.

“The podcast booth will be a great tool for job investigation, audio productions for businesses and citizens, and most importantly for everyone to make their voices be heard,” Murphy said.

The library will receive online staff training in how to lead conversations, a skills vital to 21st-century librarianship, a library press release states. Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community members — library users, residents, faculty, students or partner organizations — to address issues for the betterment of the community.

“We are re-imagining the role our library plays in supporting our communities,” Murphy said. “Many libraries of all types have instituted deliberation training and resources to lead community forums. Our vision is to continue to provide innovative resources for literacy, civil discourse and communications for all ages in the heart of Elkins. I strongly encourage everyone to stop in and see the current changes in the library as we continue to add usable spaces and technology.”

The American Library Association is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members.

“Through community engagement, libraries are continuing their important work on literacy and access, while also working to fill gaps in other areas that may not have fallen to libraries in the past,” said ALA President Julius C. Jefferson. “We are excited to provide the resources for hundreds of libraries to take on new challenges in their communities and look forward to seeing the great things they accomplish.”