DeKalb County Public Library is one of only 30 library systems in the country, and the only one in Georgia, to win a prestigious American Library Association (ALA) "Building Common Ground" program grant. The announcement was made in December.

The purpose of the "Building Common Ground" initiative is to encourage programs that discuss and contemplate the importance of community, civility and compassion in daily life. The DeKalb system will use its $2,500 grant to fund programs this fall at the Stonecrest Library, focusing on the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. The Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road in Lithonia, is located in the preserve and will partner with the Arabia Mountain Heritage Alliance and students at Arabia Mountain High School on the programs and an exhibit focusing on the area's history, people and the cultural diversity that is bringing change to that community today.

"One of our major goals will be to increase awareness about this important, diverse and changing area," says Kitty Wilson, a Branch Operations Coordinator at the Library. Ms. Wilson will act as coordinator for the "Building Common Ground" programs, made possible through the grant from the ALA and the Fetzer Institute.