Read Across America Library Books Awards help public schools serving economically disadvantaged students purchase books for school libraries. These awards are made on behalf of the National Education Association, with support from Warner Brothers, Inc. In order to qualify, 40 percent of the students enrolled must be eligible for free or reduced lunch. Deadlines are September 15, 2005 and February 1, 2006.
For this and other NEA Foundation grants see: www.neafoundation.org/grants.htm
Applications are currently available for the final round of Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature - Identity and Imagination, an initiative that will award grants to public and academic libraries across the country to host scholar-led book discussion programs on four new themes exploring Jewish literature and culture. Since the launch of this three-year project, 100 grants have been awarded to public and academic libraries.
The final application deadline is September 30, 2005. To obtain a grant application and guidelines, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms or www.nextbook.org/ala.
The traveling Abraham Lincoln exhibition, Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln's Journey to Emancipation, will be extended for a 60-library tour, from September 2006 through May 2010. With support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, "Forever Free" is organized by The Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History in New York, in cooperation with the American Library Association's Public Programs Office.
The deadline is October 3, 2005. For more information, see: www.ala.org/ala/ppo/currentprograms/foreverfree/foreverfreeabraham.htm
The American Library Association and Scholastic Library Publishing announce the 2006 National Library Week Grant -- "Change Your World @ your library."
All types of libraries across the United States are invited to apply for this grant, which will be awarded to a single library for the best public awareness campaign incorporating the official campaign theme, "Change Your World @ your Library," during National Library Week (April 2-8, 2006).
The application deadline is October 17, 2005. A grant application form and guidelines are at: www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/nlwgrant
State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning grants are available to teachers, youth, and school-based, service-learning coordinators. The grants, funded by the State Farm Companies Foundation, can be used for establishing service-learning projects for National Youth Service Day, April 21-23, 2006. The deadline to apply is October 17, 2005.
For more information, visit www.ala.org/@yourlibrary/nlwgrant.
Do Something BRICK Awards inspire young people to believe that change is possible, and trains, funds, and mobilizes them to be leaders who measurably strengthen their communities. The application deadline is November 1, 2005. Do Something is a national not-for-profit organization www.dosomething.org/awards/brick/index.php.
Beginning in September, grant applications will be accepted for The National Book Scholarship Fund (NBSF), sponsored by ProLiteracy Worldwide. Literacy programs have an opportunity to obtain books and materials to improve the services they provide. NBSF grants distribute New Readers Press books and educational materials to qualified adult literacy providers, with special emphasis placed on family literacy programs, ESL projects, adult basic educational programs, and projects that involve women-focused basic literacy or ESL programming.
The grant application will be available online in September 2005. The deadline for grant applications is December 8, 2005. For more information about the NBSF or to apply, visit: www.nbsf.org
James Patterson and Time Warner Book Group announced the debut of the James Patterson PageTurner Award, an annual cash prize intended to single out and support the people, companies, schools and other institutions who find original and effective ways to promote the excitement of books.
The winner of the 2005 James Patterson PageTurner Award will be announced in November, 2005. Details about the award and the nomination process can be found at www.PattersonPageTurner.org www.pattersonpageturner.org/. Nominations must be received by or on October 15, 2005.
Congratulations to NMRLS members:
Coolidge Middle School Library (Reading) received a "We the People" Bookshelf grant from NEH. The theme of this year's bookshelf is "Freedom."
The American Textile History Museum (Lowell) on its NEH Preservation and Access grant award for new storage furniture that will help to re-house the museum's centuries' old textile collection.
The Lowell Public Schools and its "Partners in Learning" program. This Department of Education Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant will serve four urban elementary schools to help improve student performance on state reading assessments, and encourage children to become lifelong, effective learners.
