CHICAGO — To acknowledge the actions of the staff of the Ferguson Municipal Public Library of Ferguson, Missouri, the ALA Council has passed a resolution commending the Ferguson Municipal Public Library for serving the community in a time of crisis.

The resolution, which was passed at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, held Jan. 30 – Feb. 3 in Chicago, states that “the library staff at Ferguson Municipal Public Library…exemplified the library profession’s core values of service and the public good during a time of civil unrest that began immediately following the shooting death of Michael Brown in August 2014.”

The staff of the Ferguson Municipal Public Library anticipated the needs of its community by providing peaceful, quiet space and time amidst the political turmoil that had been taking place within the city. During August and November 2014, the library remained open and provided space for teachers to hold classes while the Ferguson-Florissant School District closed. Library staff created special programming and educational experiences for the students and supported its community by hosting the US Small Business Administration so they could provide emergency loans, the office of the US Secretary of State to provide document recovery and preservation services and the Missouri Department of Insurance to help local businesses file for insurance and claims.

In addition, the library staff supported the children of Ferguson by circulating “healing kits,” which included books, stuffed animals and activities to help them cope with the unrest in their community.