ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Rock Island Public Library will now offer 'Comfort Carts' for patrons visiting all of its branches.
City officials revealed the carts at a Rock Island City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 28. The carts are intended to be used as a mental health tool for library visitors. They carry items like snacks, personal care supplies and mental health resource cards. Library officials said the contents will be adjusted periodically.
"What you see here is the first incarnation of our cart. It will change periodically, we will monitor what people need the most and what they want to use, and we'll switch things out here and there," Library Director Angela Campbell said.
The carts are free to use and were made possible through funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. According to city officials, mental health resources were among the top five priorities from community members responding to a 2022 survey seeking feedback on how to use the ARPA funding.
"Focusing on improving the community is a core value of the library. This project aligns with our transformative and inclusive goals of our strategic plan,” Campbell said in a press release. “For more than a century we've been a referral service to those in need. Our Community Comfort Carts are one more way people can begin their search for answers here at the library.”