BARRE – The Greensboro Free Public Library has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Winnie Belle Learned Fund of the Vermont Department of Libraries. The grant will highlight little-known women of the Northeast Kingdom and Abenaki stories while adding related youth books to its collection. The library was one of eight in Vermont receiving the award.
The competitive annual Winnie Belle Learned grants support youth programs that build literacy and a love of learning, offering opportunities for critical thinking and intellectual exploration. This year, the themes for the grants are the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 250th anniversary of Vermont statehood.
The Winnie Belle Learned Fund was created in 2007 by Dr. Burnett Rawson to honor its namesake, a Vermont educator, and his medical school education benefactress.
Born in 1863 in Westford, Winnie Belle learned persevered through hardship to earn her teaching certificate. In 1932, during the Depression, Learned invited Rawson, a distant relative, to live with her so he could study. Her generosity and vision allowed him to attend the University of Vermont and the UVM medical school.
The 2026 Winnie Belle Learned Fund grants also went to seven other Vermont libraries, including the Carpenter-Carse Library in Hinesburg, the Charlotte Public Library, the Maclure Library in Pittsford, the Manchester Community Library, the Morristown Centennial Library, the Rockingham Free Public Library in Bellows Falls and the Tunbridge Public Library.
