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Montgomery County library wins VACO top award for sensory museum program
Summary
The Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library received VACO’s Best Large County Achievement Award for its sensory museum program, which offers dimmed, tactile, multi-sensory experiences and take-home sensory kits for neurodivergent patrons, the library said.
Montgomery County on Monday accepted a Virginia Association of Counties (VACO) Achievement Award for the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library’s sensory museum program. Katie Boyle, deputy director of VACO, presented the award and described the competition and selection criteria; the county was one of 45 winners chosen from 145 entries.
"It's my privilege to be here tonight to celebrate your success and present you with a VACO achievement award," said Katie Boyle. The VACO judges looked for innovative programs that promote intergovernmental or public–private cooperation and that could be models for other localities.
Kareem Khan, director of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, described the sensory museum: sessions reduce lighting and play calming visuals and music while visitors move among tactile stations such as water beads, rice bins, kinetic sand, glow paint, fiber-optic lamps and a tented sensory light projector. The program also has occasional therapy-dog participation and a take-home sensory kit program that circulates through the library system.
Khan said staff launched the program in 2023 and expanded it across branches, noting the program’s popularity among neurodivergent teens and families. The county and library thanked VACO and accepted the plaque; the county will receive additional recognition at VACO’s annual conference.
