SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater County Library System is the recipient of two $10,000 gifts from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The gifts are part of Carnegie Libraries 250, an initiative celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing. The initiative honors the 1,280 Carnegie Libraries established throughout the United States. Two of the libraries established were in Green River and Rock Springs.

The library system received the gifts in February and is allowed to use the funds as the system pleases. Lindsey Travis, the library system’s director, said the money will be used to create new services, along with celebrating the semiquincentennial.

The Rock Springs Library will create a Library of Things, which will have various items and lawn games available for check out.

“There are things that people in the community would want to use once or twice and not necessarily purchase,” Library Manager Konstanz Potts said. 

The Rock Springs Library will also purchase a family workstation, a computer desk, and a small play area for a child. Potts said library workers often see parents of small children struggling to watch their kids and use the library computer at the same time, saying the workstation will help parents get their projects done while keeping their children safe and entertained.

The Sweetwater County Library in Green River plans to start a Project Library, a permanent program designed to create opportunities for residents to give back to the community. Library patrons can use supplies provided to them to create a project the library will forward to a community organization. Information will be provided about each organization involved and why the items will be donated to the organization.

“In 1776, Americans committed to building a nation based on shared responsibility,” Cherrie Dittman, the programming librarian at the Sweetwater County Library said. “In 2026, we want to honor that  legacy by serving our community with this program.”

“Our founder, Andrew Carnegie, who championed the free public library movement of the late 19th  century, described libraries as ‘cradles of democracy’ that ‘strengthen the democratic idea, the equality of the citizen, and the royalty of man,’” Dame Louise Richardson, president of the Carnegie Corporation said. “We still believe this and are delighted to celebrate our connection to  the libraries he founded.”

Carnegie funded the construction of 1,681 free public libraries between 1886 and 1917. Approximately 750 of them continue to use their original buildings, while others have moved to new locations. Opened in 1906 and 1910, the Sweetwater County Library and Rock Springs Library are two of 16 Carnegie Libraries in Wyoming. 

The library hopes to unveil the new programs at both libraries this summer. 

In addition, the library system will honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence through a reading program this summer. Patrons who sign up will need to read 250 minutes by the Fourth of July to be entered into a special prize drawing.