The Daniel Boone Regional Library (DBRL) proposes a six-month intergenerational program series from October 2025 through February 2026. This program will use a range of readings, including both fiction and nonfiction, to facilitate conversations around hope, positive psychology, and personal connections as tools for mental and emotional well-being for the public and library staff. We will kick off the programming with an event for library staff, to introduce the initiative and NNLM resources (including the Book Club) and to invite them to participate by reading the books and recommending resources for our displays and our online presence. Staff will have an opportunity during this kickoff event to contribute to the planning and content of subsequent events in the series. They will also complete the PAS-SUB survey. Each month, a book and discussion related to these topics will be featured. The grant will be used to purchase twenty copies of each book. The books will be circulated throughout the state following completion of our series using regional book courier services which DBRL already uses. The series will include guided discussions led by guest speakers, such as subject-matter experts from the University of Missouri and other local organizations. Discussions will be held in person at two branches of DBRL (the main library in Columbia, and the Callaway County branch, which serves a rural population). We will also develop a web page with all of the resources, book lists, and book discussion questions, and it will include the recorded talks by presenters. These will be viewable by anyone, and the resources can be reused in other libraries. The program will utilize NNLM’s Reading Club suggestions (e.g., Mental Health, Resiliency, and Substance Abuse Disorder) for book suggestions. If staff locate other books, we will send those as recommendations to expand NNLM’s list. At the same time, we will also use and promote NNLM resources, including those on the “Discover More” sections of Reading Club pages and, more generally, MedlinePlus, to empower participants to access reliable health and mental health information. Dedicated book displays of book discussion groups and other books in NNLM’s Reading Club (supplied through the library’s general book fund) will be set up in three locations: 1. Columbia Public Library (CPL) Calming Room (requiring a new display). 2. Columbia Public Library Adult Area (specific location TBD). 3. Callaway County Public Library Adult Area. The displays will also include online and printed resources (e.g., bookmarks and handouts) that promote mental health and provide discrete information about national and local resources. This program will give us an opportunity to expand our reach to many different populations by utilizing the area’s network of services. Specifically, we will reach out to the following groups to advertise the program to distribute book lists and the services that we are developing: ● National Alliance on Mental Illness, Columbia, MO (serving people and families affected by mental illness) - Shared resources with over 1500 people. ● Columbia Housing Authority - CHA serves approximately 2,000 households or 4,500 individuals on annual basis. ● Boone County Public Health Department - served around 40,000–45,000 individuals in 2024. ● MU Med (MedZou Clinic): a free health clinic staffed by the University of Missouri Medical School students for people in need. ● Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA), which has a Veteran’s Garden and a garden for people experiencing financial hardship. - reaches over 1,000 Veterans and Veteran family members each year. ● Love Columbia, which is a nonprofit that provides housing and educational assistance to people in need. - served 2,898 adults and 2,926 children. These local partners will be tapped to provide information about the book club and resources that the library is developing. Through these partners, we anticipate that we will reach a total of 150 people as these organizations each reach around 270-450 people with their programs. The main target group for this grant is the general population of library users and community members, many of whom have hidden mental health needs and who are as yet unaware of library resources for mental health and similar resources. The main branch of DBRL, in Columbia, employs a social worker who is familiar with the needs of many people who use the library as a day center. The library is one of the few places that is available for people to sit in comfort during the day, and many people who utilize the space for this reason have mental health and addiction needs. This group will be a secondary beneficiary of this project as we develop a collection of mental health resources, including some hi-lo books and books that speak to some of the specialized needs of our population. The actionable period for the grant is six months, but the goal is long-term. Throughout the grant period, we will measure successes and areas for improvement to help us with informed decision-making as we move forward with enhanced programming to support mental and emotional health. Programming aimed at staff and collection development that we will perform outside of the grant aims to create greater program sustainability. The grant also aims to develop a cross-disciplinary research agenda focusing on libraries as a point of connection in the community.