A volunteer checks a phone behind the counter at the Friends of the Library bookstore inside the Walnut Creek Library in Walnut Creek, Calif. on Sept. 29, 2021. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)

Contra Costa County library branches in Antioch, Concord and Walnut Creek are each receiving $10,000 donations as part of a nationwide initiative to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The gifts are from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, named after industrialist Andrew Carnegie, who funded the construction of nearly 1,700 free public libraries around the U.S. between 1886 and 1917, including the three in Contra Costa County.

The funding “will be used to enhance and expand programs and collections tailored to the needs” of the three branches, Contra Costa County library officials said in a news release.

“This award is a wonderful affirmation of the enduring value of public libraries,” County Librarian Alison McKee said in a statement. “These funds will allow us to deepen our commitment to providing vital resources and programming for the patrons in these three communities.” 

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.