Grant from Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Provides New Books for MRL

Thanks to a $700 grant from the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation (“VBCF”), Massanutten Regional Library has expanded its collection of titles focused on breast cancer detection, treatment and recovery.
 
Since 2000, the VBCF has awarded more than $60,000 in grants to 46 different public libraries throughout the Commonwealth. MRL is one of four public libraries to receive a VBCF grant in 2018, and this year marks the fourth time Massanutten Regional Library has received the grant since 2012.
 
According to MRL Reference Librarian, Paul Frankel, support from the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation has had a significant impact on the expansion of the library’s collection over the years.
 
“We’re thankful for the ongoing support of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation,” said Frankel. “With this grant, the library is able to buy authoritative, up-to-date books that allow patrons to quickly access quality and accurate information about breast cancer in both English and Spanish.”
 
In support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, MRL’s Central Library will feature a display of breast cancer titles, including books purchased with grant funds. In addition, MRL has published a companion “reader’s advisory” that highlights recommended resources on breast cancer. The display will run through the end of October.
Books purchased with the VBCF grant, as well as all items in the MRL collections, are available to patrons throughout the library’s seven branches. MRL’s courier system quickly transfers books between branches, thereby giving patrons access to the library’s entire collection from the convenience of their local branch.
 
The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation is a Richmond-based advocacy and education organization founded in 1991. The VBCF’s goals are to establish the end of breast cancer as a state and national priority, to advocate for the collective needs of people affected by breast cancer in Virginia, and to educate Virginians on the facts about breast cancer. In addition to their Library Grants program, the VBCF provides a wide range of educational resources on breast cancer, annually distributing 75,000 Breast Health Basics brochures for women and men through local volunteer and community organization networks. They also provide a speakers bureau of trained educational experts, and since 2013 they have helped local nonprofits provide breast health education to more than 20,000 Virginians. More details are available at the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation website: www.vbcf.org.