RAD’s Transformative Community Library Fund awards include the following grants:

• Braddock Carnegie Library – $1,500,000 toward repair and re-construction of the exterior masonry and vestibule in America’s first Carnegie Library ($1,250,000 awarded in May 2023, an additional $250,000 awarded in May 2025)
• Carnegie Free Library of Swissvale – $1,050,000 toward a major capital project to make the library fully accessible for the first time ($800,000 awarded in May 2023, an additional $250,000 awarded in November 2025) 
• Carnegie Library of McKeesport – $750,000 as a part of a phased-in renovation to turn the uppermost floor from storage space into public space for community groups
• Clairton Public Library – $500,000 to help move the library to new, purpose-built space on the ground floor of the newly-renovated Clairton Inn Apartments 
• Carnegie Library of Homestead – $500,000 toward a major capital project to make the historic library building more accessible and increase programming space 
• C.C. Mellor Memorial Library – $500,000 to renovate its century-old building in Edgewood, including roof replacement and interior renovations 
• Millvale Public Library – $227,320 to expand the Tool Library, including support staff and building design
• Sharpsburg Community Library – $78,324 toward courtyard renovations and remote locker installations in Sharpsburg and Blawnox
• Wilkinsburg Public Library – $556,000 to renovate the adult library space to be safer and more welcoming

Transformative Community Library Fund projects in the news: 

• RAD grant helps Millvale Community Library add accessible structure
• Round-the-clock book locker program debuts in Blawnox and Sharpsburg
• Sharpsburg Community Library courtyard to be renovated
• Mon Valley libraries get $3.8 million for transformative changes
• RAD awards $3.5 million to libraries in underserved Allegheny County communities
• Braddock Carnegie Library Celebrates Grand Reopening with Community Open House and Ceremony
• Carnegie Library of Homestead is an evolving ‘third space’ with a gym, pool, music hall and a bar

Background:

In 2022, the RAD Board created the Transformative Community Library Fund, a $5.7 million, four-year investment dedicated to the libraries serving communities designated as distressed. With a deep appreciation for the vital role libraries play, RAD invited libraries that serve distressed communities to embrace transformative change. The goals of the program included: 

• Expanding and enhancing library experiences for current and future patrons 
• Establishing relationships with other libraries to optimize operations and sharing services 
• Building and sustaining organizational capacity, including staff and board leadership committed to measurable engagement 
• Centering libraries in community building and neighborhood development strategies 
• Optimizing funding opportunities that support long-term results 

Applicants underwent a thorough application and review process to demonstrate that their projects balanced community engagement, library board and executive leadership, and the potential for significant impact. Successful grant recipients are required to periodically provide updates to RAD staff and the RAD Library Committee. 

For questions regarding this grant opportunity please contact Maggie Pike Iddings, senior program officer.

Additional resources:

• Public Libraries: A Community-Level Resource to Advance Population Health
• The library's role in bridging the digital divide