By Staff
LIBRARY GRANT Steve McCartney, right, director of the Meridian/Lauderdale County Public Library, accepts a $100,000 check from Dr. Richard Riley,left, Becky Lewis and Dr. Billy Riley all from the Riley Foundation. The money will buy more than 8,000 audio books for the library. Photo by Carisa McCain/The Meridian Star
By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
April 19, 2002
The Riley Foundation awarded the Meridian/Lauderdale County Public Library a $100,000 grant Thursday so it can purchase audio books.
Members of the foundation presented library director Steve McCartney the check during a news conference at the library in downtown Meridian.
The grant is the second the Riley Foundation has given the library in the past two years. In 2000, the library used a $150,000 grant to purchase 10,000 new non-fiction books.
Dr. Richard Riley of the Riley Foundation said the second grant is special to him because he suffers from a visual disability and can't read books.
McCartney agreed, saying the grant will help people who have sight problems and "can't enjoy literature in a traditional way."
Plus, he said, "I don't know anyone who doesn't like to have a story read to them. So the pure recreational side to this is great, too."
McCartney said the library will begin ordering audio books within the next three to five weeks. He said the books could begin arriving within the next six to eight weeks.