Grants for Librarians
Staff -- School Library Journal, 5/1/2002
$12.5 Million in Federal Aid Now Available.
Media specialists can start applying for the $12.5 million in grants for school library materials recently approved by Congress. The funds were appropriated for FY 2002 as part of "Improving Literacy Through School Libraries"—formerly the Reed Amendment—passed in December 2001. This marks the first time in more than 30 years that federal money has been earmarked specifically for school libraries. The Department of Education will distribute the funds as grants to local education agencies.
Congress is expected to support more funds next year (see "Reed") if school librarians demonstrate a need by applying for the grants, says Mary Costabile, associate director of the American Library Association's Washington office. For more information, contact Margaret McNeely at (202) 260-1335, fax: (202) 205-0310, or e-mail: Margaret.Mcneely@ed.gov. The deadline for grant applications is July 24.
CA School Libraries Receive $100,000.
Libraries in 20 Los Angeles-area schools received $5,000 grants last month, thanks to a $100,000 donation from City National Bank. The grants were administered through the Governor's Book Fund, a program established to raise private money for school libraries. Its initial $100,000 contribution helped City National Bank launch "Reading Is The Way Up," a statewide drive to raise awareness of the plight of California public school libraries. State funding of libraries is uncertain for next year, due to a budget shortfall of nearly $15 billion.
Bilingual Brochure.
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has won a $50,000 grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to produce and distribute a bilingual booklist. The brochure, which is available in both English and Spanish, recommends titles for children up to age eight, with advice on how parents can encourage reading at home. ALSC also will provide librarians with tips on using the brochure, now available at www.ala.org/alsc.
