Monterey County Free Libraries Awarded Groundwork Grant to Strengthen Cultural Heritage Resilience

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monterey County Free Libraries Contact: Jo Krajeski, Local History Librarian and Archivist 188 Seaside Circle, Marina, CA 93933 (831) 883-7512 [email protected] 10/21/25

Monterey County Free Libraries Awarded
Groundwork Grant to Strengthen Cultural Heritage Resilience

Monterey County, CA - October 2025 - Monterey County Free Libraries (MCFL) is honored to announce that it has been awarded the Groundwork Grant, a California-wide funding initiative designed to help cultural institutions bolster their emergency preparedness, disaster resilience, and preservation efforts.

Groundwork Grants is a program developed in partnership by the Myriad Consulting & Training, California State Library, and the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), building on the "Ready or Not" initiative. The goal is to help organizations across California safeguard historically and culturally significant collections-especially those representing underrepresented communities-from threats including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other climate-related risks.

MCFL's Award and Purpose

With this support, MCFL will receive:

• Funding for archival-grade preservation materials and equipment
• Four professional disaster recovery kits
• Two specialized Myriad training courses in emergency prioritization and preventive maintenance

These resources will enable MCFL to protect local history documents and culturally significant materials for present and future generations.

"Securing this grant means we can translate our emergency assessment into action," said Local History Librarian Jo Krajeski. "It lets us strengthen our capacity to respond quickly and prevent loss of irreplaceable materials before disaster strikes."

The project, which began in September 2025 and concludes by March 2026, builds on MCFL's 2024 Ready-or-Not consultation, which identified key needs for improved emergency preparedness and archival care. Through this Groundwork Grant, MCFL will implement those recommendations to build a more resilient preservation program for Monterey County's diverse communities. This project demonstrates MCFL's commitment to inclusive historical documentation and protecting archives that reflect our region's diverse voices.

For more information about the Groundwork Grants program, visit https://www.groundworkgrants.org.