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CHICAGO — The Montrose Regional Library has been awarded the Baker & Taylor/Young Adult Library Service Association Collection Development Grant. The grant awards $1,000 for new materials to YALSA members who represent a public library and work directly with youth ages 12 to 18.

The Montrose Regional Library will use the grant to expand their teen manga and graphic novel non-fiction offerings. More manga has consistently been the most requested material in the library’s teen space, and the style is growing fastest in checkouts in the teen section. The library’s Teen Advisory Board thinks it will expand and deepen teen engagement in the library.



A portion of the grant will support collection development in the Naturita branch of the library, with the rest augmenting the Montrose branch collection, including the creation of a kit of circulating manga available to local educators in the public and home school communities.

“I am thrilled – and so grateful to YALSA and Baker & Taylor – to have this opportunity to respond directly and substantially to teen desires in the community! I hope it demonstrates our commitment to listening to young people and brings in a wider swathe of teen library users,” said Montrose Regional Library Teen Services Librarian Amy Dickinson.

For additional information, visit Montrose Regional Library’s website at .