By MALEA VANLANINGHAM
Milford Public Library

MILFORD — The Milford Public Library is pleased to announce it has received a grant from The Dekko Foundation. The grant will fund ‘”A Little Love for Libraries Project,” which addresses the Milford Library’s current greatest need.

We have established the library’s greatest need is to replace some aging technology. In the next year, the library will replace the copy machine, network server, printers and some public access computers. These improvements will allow the library to better meet its mission to the community to meet the informational, cultural, recreational and educational needs of all community residents regardless of age or formal training.

“It is very difficult to keep our building in good condition physically and keep up with technology. Understandably, having older equipment is frustrating to our patrons and staff. We do not want our patrons to leave the library unable to get copies or find information they are looking for because our technology is aging and temperamental. The Milford Library is one of the few places in our community people can come and get copies, research family history, and use the Internet. The Dekko grant will allow us to update several key pieces of equipment, improving services provided to our patrons,” said Julie Frew, director.

The Dekko Foundation is the legacy of its founder, Chester E. Dekko, a successful businessman, who in 1981 used his proceeds from his manufacturing business to start the Dekko Foundation. Dekko chose for his foundation the mission of fostering economic freedom through education.

“The foundation’s goal is to prepare young people for lives of economic freedom,” says the Dekko Foundation’s program director, Sharon Smith. “All of our grants are aimed at helping children and youth build the skills, knowledge and character that they need to live in economically-free ways. We believe that libraries, like the Milford Public Library, play a very important role in the lives of children and youth.”

The Dekko Foundation considers grant proposals from communities where Dekko had interests in during his lifetime. The states of Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Minnesota and Indiana each have counties that the Dekko Foundation supports, including Kosciusko County.