FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2010
Contact: Will Jennings, 202-226-7625

Lincoln, Pryor, Berry: Parkin Library To Receive $36K For Expansion

Washington – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Representative Marion Berry (AR-01) today announced that the City of Parkin will receive $36,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to renovate the library and purchase library equipment. The funds are allocated through the Recovery Act and will enable local residents to have expanded access to computers to search for jobs and train for employment opportunities. The funding also will provide computer access for students who lack it at home.

“Libraries open up a world of learning and knowledge for our local communities, and I am proud to announce these funds for Parkin. Not only will they allow more citizens to utilize updated facilities and resources, they will also help support local economic development and jobs, which is my number one priority,” said Lincoln, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees the United States Department of Agriculture, the largest investor in Arkansas’s rural communities.

“A library is an important resource for a community, helping students learn and providing opportunities for adults to look for jobs and job training materials.  These funds for a renovated library will help provide the residents of Parkin with the resources necessary to get good jobs and a good education,” Pryor said.

“Libraries are such important public facilities that provide a wealth of knowledge and resources to Arkansas residents,” Berry said. “Providing the Parkin library with funding to expand their use of computers to local citizens to search for jobs and train for employment is a reminder of how essential it is that we renovate and improve our libraries. I am happy to see we are working towards continued expansion of these public resources to all Arkansans.”

Parkin’s funds are provided through the USDA’s Rural Development Community Facilities Program, which helps finance essential community facilities for public use in rural areas. These facilities include child care centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted-living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation. Through this program, USDA ensures that such facilities are available to all rural residents.

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