Grants and Special Projects

A new grant competition will award $150,000 to libraries, museums, and other nonprofits to provide hands-on learning opportunities this summer for youth across the country to help make the online experience more civil, safe and empowering. The Project:Connect Summer Youth Programming Competition is administered by the Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory (HASTAC), with support from the MacArthur Foundation through a grant to the University of California, Irvine, and in partnership with the Born This Way Foundation. Grants will support a series of local hands-on events July through September where young people collaborate and compete through activities such as hackathons, maker spaces, digital journalism and communications labs, and mentoring workshops. Programs must be based on the understanding that learning happens anywhere, anytime and should be equitable, social, participatory, and reflect kids’ interests. Applications are due June 10. More information can be found on the Digital Media and Learning Competition website.

National Science Foundation "Pushing the Limit" Programming Grant

If your Friends group represents a small and rural Minnesota library looking to bolster its Adult programming offerings in the S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, the National Science Foundation wants to work with you!

Last year, in a special pilot program, the Foundation and its partners collaborated with 20 libraries throughout the country to bring adult science programming to the masses. This year, organizers want to roll out something similar at 75 more institutions.

Details may vary considerably by location and according to community interest. To apply, all you need is a scientific theme, the kernel of an idea, and the cooperation of a local science professional or teacher (who will help library staff conduct the program). If your library is chosen, you will receive $2,500 toward expenses, curriculum development support from National Science Foundation partners, free materials, and comprehensive online training for library staff and volunteers. 

Applications are due by* May 15, 2013.*

For General Information

For the application

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Preservation Assistance Grants

The National Endowment for the Humanities annually awards grants focused on inventory preservation and cataloging to help worthy “libraries, museums, [and related institutions] improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects…  historical objects, and digital materials.”

Grants vary in size according to need, as determined by the NEH judging committee. If you have an ongoing or potential project that fits into the description above, you are strongly encouraged to apply. In the last five competition cycles, NEH received an average of 316 entries each year and, averaged out, provided financial assistance to 113 (a full 36%!) each cycle.

For General Information

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has announced the availability of grants for small institutions to improve the care and preservation of their humanities collections.  From the announcement:

Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, cultural organizations, town and county records offices, and colleges and universities, improve their ability to preserve and care for their significant humanities collections. These may include special collections of books and journals, archives and manuscripts, prints and photographs, moving images, sound recordings, architectural and cartographic records, decorative and fine art objects, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, historical objects, and digital materials.

For more information, including instruction and application documents, click here.  If you have a project that you're interested in doing and would like talk with SELCO staff, please don't hesitate to contact Michael Scott, Assistant Director at mscott@selco.info or 507-288-5513.

Taken from a posting on the Children's Book Council website on January 24, 2013.  For SELCO/SELS members, this might be a great opportunity to not only apply for one of these minigrants, but also consider submitting a Community Collaboration Legacy Grant as well!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK--January 15, 2013 -- The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation celebrates the 25th year of its Minigrant Program with a call for proposals. Approximately 70 grants of $500 each will be awarded to qualifying teachers and librarians at public schools and libraries across the United States. The deadline for grant submissions is March 15th, 2013, and decisions will be emailed to all applicants beginning May 15th, allowing educators to plan for the next academic year accordingly.

As we look back on the past 25 years of the Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program, we are most proud of the direct support we have given to so many extraordinary teachers and librarians at public schools and libraries,” says Deborah Pope, Executive Director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “Going forward, we will continue to provide funding to those educators whose programs reach beyond the basic curriculum to inspire---even in the face of great challenges and unprecedented budget cuts across the country.

“If a teacher or librarian has an idea for a project that will foster creativity, cooperation and interaction with a diverse community and then designs a program based on that idea, we wholeheartedly encourage them to apply---after the initial design and planning phase, the application form takes less than an hour to complete,” adds Pope.

Since 1987, the Foundation, established by the late Caldecott award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, has provided $780,000 in support of programs spanning the 50 states and the U.S. Commonwealth. To learn more about the Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program and to apply, visit www.ezra-jack-keats.org/.

Featured on the Foundation’s website is a gallery of past outstanding Minigrant recipients, including these programs, which can be viewed at this link: http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/minigrant-program/outstanding-minigrant-programs/.

• Tales of Our Forefathers -- Susan Gerhart, YA Librarian, Calcasieu Parish Public Library's Summer Teen Reading Program, Lake Charles, Louisiana. A summer reading project grew into a living history as nine local teens interviewed five older family and community members-people who survived the Great Depression, fought in the Second World War and adapted to changes in the rural South over the past 90 years. The result is a wonderful album of reminiscences and photographs of country life in the last century.
• A First Grade's Snowy Day -- Stanley Steele, Principal, Pocantico Hills School, Sleepy Hollow, New York. More than 12 years ago, a 12-inch snowfall inspired first-graders at this Westchester County school to create their own version of Keats classic The Snowy Day. Each student contributed a sentence and a drawing, presented as a slideshow on the school website. Since then, every first-grade class has added a snow-themed contribution.
• African-American Shadow Plays -- Jill Waltz, Teacher, Geeter Middle School, Memphis, Tennessee. The Geeter Middle School packed a lot of culture into its Black History program, with students adapting African and African-American folktales into shadow plays and performing them with puppets and sets they created themselves.
• Mosaic Legacy Project -- Robert Devich, Principal, Pacific Rim Elementary School, Carlsbad, California. Pacific Rim Elementary won't forget the fifth-grade class and their K-2 "little buddies," thanks to the large-scale mosaic they made for the school, based on the book The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister.

Evolution of the Minigrant Program

Public education is one of the greatest legacies of our country, one that benefits children from every walk of life. For Keats, it was at public school that he received his greatest encouragement to pursue his vocation as an artist and at the public library that he found a haven that introduced him to the wonders of art history. To offer a similar experience to new generations, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation created the Minigrant Program.

About The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation supports arts and literacy programs in public schools and libraries across the country that bring the joy of reading to children while highlighting the importance of diversity in children’s books. In addition to the Ezra Jack Keats Minigrants, the Foundation’s annual programs include the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award, presented to an outstanding new writer and new illustrator of children’s picture books, and the Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition for New York City public school students, grades 3-12. For information about the Foundation please visit www.ezra-jack-keats.org.

Information from Bruce Pomerantz, Library Development Specialist at Minnesota State Library Services:

Documents and application forms for the current round of public library accessibility and improvement competitive grants are now available at the State Library Services website.  Grant proposals are due 4:15 p.m., March 26, 2013.  I will broadcast this announcement to all Minnesota public library directors and to those who have previously inquired about the construction program status.

For more information directly contact:

Bruce Pomerantz, Library Development Specialist
State Library Services - D29
Minnesota Department of Education
1500 Highway 36 W.
Roseville, MN 55113
Phone: 651-582-8890
Fax: 651-582-8752

Taken from an annoucement by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).  Please note that one of the qualifications for this grant is that your library must be within 20 miles of a Dollar General store.

ALSC launches application for Everyone Reads @ your library mini-grants

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is now accepting applications for mini-grants intended to prepare libraries to incorporate Día into their existing programs, throughout the year. Libraries will use these mini-grants to initiate a Día Family Book Club Program. These mini-grants are part of ALSC’s Everyone Reads @ your library grant, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

Intended as an expansion of El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), the mini-grants will be awarded to libraries that demonstrate a need to better address the diverse backgrounds within their communities.  Up to 12 mini-grants will be awarded at $5,000 each.  In addition to these mini-grants, funding from this grant will also allow ALSC to create a Día Family Book Club Toolkit that will be accessible to all. For more information, and the application form, go to  http://dia.ala.org/dia-2013-mini-grants.  The deadline to accept mini-grant applications is Friday, February 1, 2013.

Día is an every day celebration of children, families and reading that emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.  Día was founded in 1996 by children’s book author Pat Mora, who proposed conceptually linking the existing Children’s Day with literacy.  Día’s primary goals are to honor children and their diverse backgrounds; to encourage reading and literacy; and to promote library collections and programs that reflect our plurality, on a daily basis.

The founding partner of Día is REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Literacy and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.

The mini-grants are part of the activities leading up to Dia’s 17th anniversary, culminating on April 30, 2013: Dia: Diversity in Action. For more information, visit http://dia.ala.org.

About ALSC

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC visit www.ala.org/alsc.

About REFORMA

Established in 1971 as an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA, has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share their goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population in regards to availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos.

About Dollar General

Dollar General is a leading discount retailer with more than 10,000 neighborhood stores. Dollar General stores provide convenience and value to customers by offering consumable basic items such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The company has a longstanding tradition of supporting literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $74 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 4.4 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency.

Owatonna Public Library and Austin Public Library have both received grants from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation to address health inequities and improve health in their local communities.

Owatonna Public Library received $30,800 from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation to help improve health for all the residents of Steele County. The funds will be used to provide “Health Info @ your Library®.” Current, timely, accurate, and reliable health information will be even easier to find. Health information will be accessible in print and online, at information sessions, and at child-centered family programs. The Owatonna Public Library will work with Owatonna Community Education, Steele County Public Health, and other local organizations to develop and implement the program.  Click here for the full press release.

Austin Public Library received $50,000 from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation for their project "Good Food - Healthy Eating on a Budget."  The project will use targeted marketing, adult learning principles, and fun, engaging content to improve the daily diets of participants and their families.  Information about area resources and support systems will be built into the curriculum.

Congratulations to both libraries!

From the Public Library Association Website:

Through the generosity of sponsors, the Public Library Association (PLA) is offering nine awards/grants designed to highlight the best in public library service and to honor those bringing innovation, creativity and dedication to public libraries. Many of the awards include an honorarium; please click here to view the website, details on each award, and to nominate your colleague or library through Dec. 1, 2012.

The awards include:

• Allie Beth Martin Award, honoring a public librarian who has demonstrated extraordinary range and depth of knowledge about books or other library materials and has the distinguished ability to share that knowledge. Sponsored by Baker & Taylor;
• Baker & Taylor Entertainment Audio Music/Video Product Award, promoting the development of a circulating audio music/video collection in a public library;
• Charlie Robinson Award, honoring a public library director who, over a period of seven years, has been a risk taker, an innovator and/or a change agent in a public library. Sponsored by Baker & Taylor;
• DEMCO New Leaders Travel Grant, enhancing the professional development of new public librarians by making possible their attendance at major professional development activities;
• EBSCO Excellence in Small and/or Rural Library Service Award, honoring a public library serving a population of 10,000 or less that demonstrates excellence of service to its community;
• Gordon M. Conable Award, honoring a public library staff member, library trustee or public library that has demonstrated a commitment to intellectual freedom and the Library Bill of Rights. Sponsored by Library Systems & Services LLC;
• Highsmith Library Innovation Award, recognizing a public library’s innovative and creative service program to the community;
• Polaris Innovation in Technology John Iliff Award, honoring a library worker, librarian or library that has used technology as a tool to improve services;
• Romance Writers of America Library Grant, providing a public library the opportunity to build or expand its romance fiction collection and/or host romance fiction programming.

The PLA Award Nomination Form can be found here and is open until December 1, 2012.  An award jury appointed by the PLA President will review each nomination. Winners will be announced in February 2013. Awards will be presented at A 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago. For more information, contact the PLA office, (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA or by email pla@ala.org.

Information received from the ALA Public Programs Office:

The ALA Public Programs Office is pleased to partner with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on Muslim Journeys, a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf. Now through October 25, public libraries, community college and academic libraries, and state humanities councils may apply to receive this outstanding collection of materials to facilitate public programs and vibrant community discussions by clicking here.

In January 2013, up to 1,000 sites will be selected to receive the following:

• a collection of 25 books that highlight the pluralism of cultural forms and traditions within the Muslim World
• three documentary films, with public performance rights
• a one-year subscription to Oxford Islamic Studies Online, which will allow libraries access to primary source documents and current works of scholarship
• resources to support programs for public audiences, including thematic essays, discussion questions, podcasts, and proprietary film and Internet content
• materials to support program promotion, including bookmarks, posters, and bookplates.

For more information, including complete lists of books and films, themes, and resources to help get your application started, please click here and here.

All of the materials and resources included in Muslim Journeys have been selected with the advice of scholars, librarians, and cultural programming experts. With questions about this grant opportunity, please contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf is a project of NEH and the ALA Public Programs Office, offered with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts. Bridging Cultures is an NEH initiative that engages the power of the humanities to promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives within the United States and abroad.

Applications for the American Dream Starts @ your library literacy initiative are now being accepted. Online applications will be accepted between July 16 and August 26. Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000.

By the way, there is are two Dollar General stores located in the SELCO region: Caledonia & Spring Valley.  Additionally, there are Dollar General stores located near the SELCO region which may be within 20 miles of some libraries, including stores in Wells and Waseca in Minnesota and Northwood and Cresco in Iowa.

The following public libraries and library systems are eligible to apply for this funding.

• A public library or library system with a demonstrated need and the capacity to provide literacy services for adult English language learners.
• Applicants must be located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center, or corporate office (please visit the Dollar General Store Locator online).
• Libraries and library systems that have previously received American Dream grants are eligible to apply. are eligible to apply.

To access the full application, go to http://americandreamtoolkit.org/2012/application/ to access the full application.

The Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant is an annual $3,000 award open to U.S. libraries of all types.  It is sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, and administered by the ALA Public Awareness Committee to support a single library’s public outreach efforts during National Library Week (April 14-20, 2013).  This year's theme is Communities Matter @ Your Library.

This year’s application deadline is Sept. 30, 2012.

Click here for additional information, including judging criteria, application form, and other important information.  Last year's winning grant was from Sacramento (CA) Public Library, so check out their proposal  as a guide to crafting your grant application.

Information received from the ALA Public Programs Office:

The ALA Public Programs Office is pleased to partner with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on Muslim Journeys, a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf. Now through September 25, public libraries, community college and academic libraries, and state humanities councils may apply to receive this outstanding collection of materials to facilitate public programs and vibrant community discussions by clicking here.

In January 2013, up to 1,000 sites will be selected to receive the following:

• a collection of 25 books that highlight the pluralism of cultural forms and traditions within the Muslim World
• three documentary films, with public performance rights
• a one-year subscription to Oxford Islamic Studies Online, which will allow libraries access to primary source documents and current works of scholarship
• resources to support programs for public audiences, including thematic essays, discussion questions, podcasts, and proprietary film and Internet content
• materials to support program promotion, including bookmarks, posters, and bookplates.

For more information, including complete lists of books and films, themes, and resources to help get your application started, please click here and here.

All of the materials and resources included in Muslim Journeys have been selected with the advice of scholars, librarians, and cultural programming experts. With questions about this grant opportunity, please contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf is a project of NEH and the ALA Public Programs Office, offered with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts. Bridging Cultures is an NEH initiative that engages the power of the humanities to promote understanding and mutual respect for people with diverse histories, cultures, and perspectives within the United States and abroad.

From the GrantStation Insider weekly newsletter for the week of July 23, 2012:

The Kids in Need Foundation is dedicated to engaging students in the learning process by providing grants towards the purchase of supplies for students to participate in special classroom learning experiences. Kids in Need Teacher Grants, sponsored by retailers and education credit unions, help K-12 educators develop innovative learning opportunities for their students. The purpose of the grants is to provide support for classroom teachers who have innovative, meritorious ideas but lack the budget to bring them to life. Projects qualify for funding if they make creative use of common teaching aids, approach the curriculum from an imaginative angle, or tie nontraditional concepts together for the purpose of illustrating commonalities. Approximately 200 to 300 grants from $100 to $500 are awarded each year. The application deadline is September 30, 2012. Visit the Foundation's website to submit an online application.

Reprint of posting to the District Dispatch on July 13, 2012:

In order to enhance the collaboration among libraries and disaster-related agencies, the National Library of Medicine is now soliciting proposals for disaster medicine and public health information improvement projects. Librarians are encouraged to apply for the contract awards, which range from $15,000--30,000 each for one-year projects. The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, August 8, 2012, at 2:00 p.m.

The funding opportunity is designed to improve access to disaster medicine and public health information for health care professionals, first responders and others that play a role in health-related disaster preparedness, response and recovery. Those interested in applying for the funding can view summaries of the seven projects funded for 2011-2012.  Learn more about the funding opportunity.

Applications for L3 Rural Libraries and Literacy Leadership Institute are being accepted now through August 15.

Six rural libraries and six literacy organizations from around Minnesota will be invited to be the pilot program’s first participants. These twelve organizations will participate in an intensive year of training and mentoring designed to expand their capacity to meet the unique needs of rural communities.

This pilot leadership training program is funded by the Otto Bremer Foundation and will be designed and presented through a partnership of Library Strategies – a consulting group of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library – and the Minnesota Literacy Council.

Click here for an L3 general overview

Click here to complete the online L3 application form

Feel free to contact Sue Hall, L3 Program Manager, 651-287-0060 or Ann Hutton, L3 Program Consultant, 507-529-4443 for more information.

L3 Rural Libraries and Literacy Leadership Institute is a pilot training program funded by the Otto Bremer Foundation and launching in August 2012.  The program will be designed and presented through a partnership of Library Strategies – a consulting group of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library – and the Minnesota Literacy Council.  Six rural libraries and six literacy organizations from Minnesota will be invited to be the pilot program’s first participants.  These twelve organizations will participate in an intensive year of training and mentoring designed to expand their capacity for meeting the unique needs of rural communities.  Recent research conducted by the Foundation indicates that a focus on libraries and literacy has the potential to have broad, positive impact on smaller communities.

L3 seeks to sustain the capacity it develops by working with multiple participants from each organization, building a sense of fellowship among participants and providing structured opportunities for participants to work with mentors and one another over the course of a year.  Evaluation of the initiative’s first year will inform decisions about Bremer Foundation support for rural libraries and literacy organizations in the future. If successful, the program may expand to every community in which Bremer provides banking services.

Please see the attached news release or contact Sue Hall at 651-287-0060 or Ann Hutton at 507-529-4443 for more information.

The Otto Bremer Foundation will fund L3: Bremer Rural Libraries and Literacy Leadership Institute as a pilot project focused on building the capacity of rural libraries in Minnesota.  A detailed needs assessment will be conducted in the selected communities and institute topics will be tailored to the needs of participating libraries and literacy organization.  For an L3 overview click here.

Any Minnesota library located in, or near, a Bremer community is eligible to apply to be a participant in the Institute. There are Bremer communities in each of the 12 CRPLSA regions.  

The Bremer Foundation will provide full scholarships to the L3 Institute for six libraries and six literacy organizations including all training sessions and webinars, travel, lodging and meals. Each Institute participant will also be supported by a designated mentor who will work with their organization throughout the program.

Just came across this grant opportunity from the Best Buy Community Relations Program website:

Through the Community Grants program, Best Buy teams across the United States select non-profit organizations that give teens access to opportunities through technology to help them excel in school and develop 21st century skills. This year, the Best Buy Children’s Foundation will give $2.8 million in Community Grants. Grant amounts will average $4000-$6000 and will not exceed $10,000.

To see a list of projects funded in 2011, click here.  There were a few projects funded in Minnesota and if you take a glance at the list, a few library projects were funded as well.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, in partnership with The Library of America, is now accepting applications from libraries for grants to develop public programming around the free traveling panel exhibition Civil War 150. The exhibition is part of Civil War 150: Exploring the War and Its Meaning through the Words of Those Who Lived It, a major three-year project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project is centered on the four-volume Library of America series The Civil War Told by Those Who Lived It and includes a collection of readers (discussion guides) drawn from the series.

Fifty sites selected by competitive application to host the Civil War 150 exhibition will each be awarded a grant of $1,000 to plan accompanying public programming. The exhibition is available for three-week periods from October 2012 to March 2015. Hosting sites will also receive supporting interpretive and contextual materials, including the Civil War 150 readers and access to a multimedia website with robust digital resources. Public, academic, and special libraries are invited to submit applications for the public programming grants and exhibition. The application deadline is July 15, 2012. To apply, please download and complete the Civil War 150 Application Form.

Nancy Walton, State Librarian, and Jym Wroblewski, LSTA Grant Administrator would like your input on the Minnesota Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) 2013-2017 Five-Year Plan.  The plan is required by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for LSTA funds and addresses the state’s current and near-future projections of the needs of end-users and strategies to meet those needs. 

As part of the process for developing the plan, Management Analysis & Development, a division of Minnesota Management & Budget, is conducting a statewide online survey of library staff to collect information that will inform Minnesota’s LSTA 2013-2017 Five-Year Plan.  The survey is voluntary and will take approximately 3-5 minutes to complete.  Survey results will be aggregated and compiled in a summary report without any identification of respondents.  The survey is confidential and anonymous.

If you are responsible for grant applications or if you know other library staff members, board members, or Library Friends who are eligible to write LSTA grants, please forward the survey link to them so they can complete the survey.

To access the survey please click here.  

The deadline for the survey is May 31st.

Your input is important to this process. The State Library greatly appreciates your participation!

If you have any questions or concerns, please send email to Kirby Pitman or call her at 651-259-3817.  Ms. Pitman is a consultant with Management Analysis & Development, a division of Minnesota Management & Budget, working with Nancy Walton, State Librarian, and Jym Wroblewski, LSTA Grant Administrator on the development of this plan.

A grant opportunity to assist in purchasing children's books for your library's collection.  Public and school libraries are eligible.

The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation is dedicated to advancing literacy and fostering a love of reading among underserved and at-risk children and youth. The Foundation provides grants to rural and urban, public and school libraries throughout the country for the purchase of books published for young people preschool through grade 8. The focus of the grant program is on libraries that serve economically or socially at-risk children, have limited book budgets, and demonstrate real need. Public libraries, school libraries, and non-traditional libraries operated by nonprofit organizations that have been in operation at least three years are eligible to apply. The application deadline is June 15, 2012. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the grant program and the application process.

The Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services Division, is pleased to announce the 2012 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Competitive Grant Opportunity. State Library Services is soliciting applications from academic, public and special libraries and public school media centers that meet the eligibility guideline requirements.  

Due to time constraints the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Competitive Grant Program for 2012 will be a one-part application process. Interested eligible libraries must submit a complete and detailed competitive grant application. Application requirements for 2012 federal LSTA funds have been revised with a federally mandated emphasis on project evaluation and end user outcomes.

An estimated allocation of $450,000 is available to fund eligible library/school media center project(s) from funds made available through Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).  The proposed award period is anticipated to be October 1, 2012, through September 30, 2013.  Due to the tight grant award end date no extensions will be allowed. All projects must end on September 30, 2013

The Application forms will be available by Friday, April 20, 2012.

James V. (Jym) Wroblewski, LSTA Coordinator/Grant Administrator

Information from the January 9, 2012 edition of the GrantStation Insider online newsletter.

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is now accepting proposals for the 2012 cycle of the Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives grant program.

The purpose of Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives, an initiative of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), is to overcome the pervasive lack of knowledge about special collections and archives and to make information about these materials accessible to scholars and students. Through this initiative, grants are provided to institutions, including colleges and universities, research centers, museums, libraries, and historical societies, holding collections of high scholarly value that are difficult or impossible to locate through finding aids. Award recipients will create descriptive information for their hidden collections that will be linked to all other projects funded by this grant in order to form a federated environment that can be built upon over time. In this funding round, CLIR expects to award about $4 million in grants ranging from $75,000 to $500,000. Online proposals must be submitted by March 16, 2012. Visit the CLIR website to review the program guidelines and application process.

Information from the December 5, 2011 edition of the GrantStation Insider online newsletter.

Better World Books and National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) have teamed up for their third annual Libraries and Families Award recognizes innovative library-based literacy programs for families. Library programs throughout the country with a strong inter-generational approach to helping parents and children learn together are encouraged to apply. Programs that serve communities and families with high literacy and socioeconomic needs are of special interest. Both previously existing and new programs are eligible for the award. Three libraries will win a $10,000 grant and and scholarships to the NCFL's annual conference in 2012 and 2013. The application deadline is February 6, 2012. To submit an online application, visit the NCFL website.

Information from the November 21, 2011 edition of the GrantStation Insider online newsletter. 

The goal of the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries is to provide print books to the K-12 school libraries and students that need them the most. Grants of up to $6,000 are available to update, extend, and diversify the book collections of school libraries throughout the United States. Only schools where a minimum of 50% of the student body qualifies for the federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program are eligible to apply. Funds are provided solely for library books and magazine/serial copies and subscriptions; requests for staffing, shelving, furniture, equipment, software, videos, classroom book sets, or exams are not considered. All grants are made to individual schools rather than to school districts, foundations, or other entities. The application deadline is December 31, 2011. Online application information is available on the Foundation’s website.

The following information was sent via e-mail in October 2011 from Bruce Pomerantz, Library Development Specialist at Minnesota State Library Services.  This post also includes excerpts from the October 10, 2011 GrantStation Insider e-newsletter.

GrantStation Insider is a weekly e-newsletter about new funding programs, upcoming deadlines, conferences, seminars, and more. For several years, State Library Services has partnered with the publisher to provide free subscriptions to Minnesotan librarians.  The opportunities are listed toward the end of the newsletter with a full description and a link to the site for quick access to the details.

Aside from learning of grant opportunities for the library, the newsletter can be a resource to alert faculty and staff with notices about grant opportunities.

Every fall, I announce the opportunity to register for the benefit of new library staff.  Individuals can register throughout the year. You may also discontinue the newsletter at any time.

You will not receive any publisher emails regarding other products if you register for the newsletter. The publisher, obviously, hopes that you find the newsletter worthwhile and then will evaluate and subscribe to its other services. State Library Services’ partnership with GrantStation Insider for the free subscription does not imply an endorsement of the other products which the publisher sells.

Register for the newsletter here

After you register, you will receive a request to confirm your membership. Please make sure to click the link in that message to confirm your subscription or you will not be placed on the distribution list.

From the October 10, 2011 GrantStation Insider:

National Funding Opportunities

Support for Community Needs Worldwide
The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations worldwide that address community needs and priorities in a meaningful way. The Foundation supports programs that focus on one of the following four categories: Water Stewardship promotes access to clean water and sanitation, watershed protection in water-stressed regions, utilization of water, and water conservation. Healthy and Active Lifestyles supports physical activity and nutritional education programs, programs that motivate behavior modification, and programs that encourage lifestyle/behavioral changes. Community Recycling addresses litter abatement efforts, recovery and reuse, community recycling awareness, and research and innovation. Education focuses on scholarships, school drop-out prevention, access to education programs, and other education initiatives. Online applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the Foundation’s website to review the community request guidelines and application procedures.

Youth Garden Projects Funded
National Gardening Association: Youth Garden Grants
The National Gardening Association (NGA), with support from The Home Depot, will award Youth Garden Grants to 100 schools and community organizations throughout the U.S. with child-centered garden programs. Priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements: educational focus or curricular/program integration; nutrition or plant-to-food connections; environmental awareness/education; entrepreneurship; and social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning. Applicant schools and organizations must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. Five programs will receive gift cards valued at $1,000 (a $500 gift card to The Home Depot and a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog); 95 programs will receive a $500 gift card to The Home Depot. All winners will receive educational materials from NGA. The application deadline is November 28, 2011. Application guidelines and forms are available on the NGA website.

Grants Promote Latino Arts Performances
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America
Southern Exposure: Performing Arts of Latin America, an initiative of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, will bring exemplary contemporary and traditional performing arts from Latin America to audiences in the United States that have little access to this work. This pilot program will invest in projects in which a consortia of presenting organizations work with a variety of community partners to offer opportunities for significant engagement with the artists from Latin America. The initiative encourages arts presenters to reach new audiences, including communities with origins in Latin America that reflect the demographic changes that have taken place in the United States over recent decades. Each presenter participating in a consortium is eligible for a grant of up to $25,000. The application deadline is February 10, 2012. Visit the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation website to download the Southern Exposure guidelines.

U.S. and Canadian Service-Learning Projects Supported
Youth Service America: State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants
Youth Service America (YSA) is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people to serve locally, nationally, and globally. The State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grants program, administered by YSA, provides grants of up to $1,000 for the promotion of service-learning projects in K-12 public schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and New Brunswick. The program encourages semester-long projects that launch on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January 16, 2012) and culminate on Global Youth Service Day (April 20-22, 2012). Eligible candidates include teachers, service-learning coordinators, and students in public schools, or staff and youth in community-based organizations working within public schools. The application deadline is November 9, 2011. Visit the YSA website to take the eligibility test and submit an online application.

Regional Funding Opportunities

Rural Initiatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin Funded
AgStar Fund for Rural America
The AgStar Fund for Rural America is committed to enhancing the quality of life and future opportunities for rural residents and their communities. The Fund supports nonprofit organizations in the service area where AgStar has a significant business presence in Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The Fund focuses its giving program in four major areas: education, environment, technology, and quality of life. Grants of up to $10,000 are provided. Online applications will be accepted from October 1 through November 30, 2011. Visit the AgStar website to review the funding guidelines and application instructions.

The ALA Public Programs Office is accepting applications for Building Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion, a multi-format discussion program for public audiences to spark action, engagement, and reflection within the community. More information, including programming resources and the online application, is available at www.ala.org/commonground. Applications are due November 18, 2011. This library programming initiative is supported by the Fetzer Institute.

The goal of the Building Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion project is to engage the public in contemplation and discussion of the importance of community, civility, and compassion in their daily lives. By bringing adult audiences together in the library for programs and events that include reading, viewing, reflection, discussion, and civic engagement initiatives, Building Common Ground: Discussions of Community, Civility and Compassion programs will support public libraries as they strive to enhance the quality of life and learning in their communities.

Resources to begin building a competitive application, including programming guides, a list of potential community partners, and ideas for programming that will inspire the community to action, engagement, and reflection, are available at www.ala.org/commonground.

A new and improved page on the SELCO website that contains the information on grants and special projects, including information on grant opportunities, has been launched on the SELCO/SELS website.  Found under Library Support Services, Grants and Special Projects will be the home for this type of information.  Currently, you can see what LSTA projects SELCO and SELS have undertaken, information on the SELCO Special Consultants program, as well as find some, perhaps, some inspiration for a future grant project your library might undertake.  The Grants and Special Projects page can be found at http://www.selco.info/display/gsp/Grants+and+Special+Projects.

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