Libri Foundation Grants for small & rural libraries

Libri Foundation Grants  -- worth looking at if your library is small.

The Libri Foundation Is A Nationwide Non-profit Organization Which Donates New, Quality, Hardcover Children's Books To Small, Rural Public Libraries In The United States Through Its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN Program.

The Foundation works with the library's Friends group (or other local organizations) because we believe in community involvement and want to encourage and reward local support of libraries. The Friends / local sponsors can contribute from $50 to $350 which the Foundation matches on a 2-to-1 ratio. Thus, a library can receive up to $1,050 worth of new, quality, hardcover children's books through this program.

Eligibility: Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. Please note: Rural is usually considered to be at least 30 miles from a city with a population over 40,000.

A branch library may apply if the community it is in meets the definition of rural. If the branch library receives its funding from its parent institution, then the parent institution's total operating budget, not just the branch library's total operating budget, must meet the budget restrictions. Town libraries with total operating budgets over $150,000 are rarely given grants. The average total operating budget of a BOOKS FOR CHILDREN grant recipient is less than $40,000.

Books for All Kids program ('free' books)

This opportunity is from Roads to Reading and is called the Books for All Kids Program.
 
This program is not a competitive grant donation program. It provides free books to nonprofits, after-school programs, and child care centers. All book donations are announced through email alerts and are made on a first come, first served basis.

NEH/ALA Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Program

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), in collaboration with the ALA Public Programs Office, is accepting applications through September 25 for Muslim Journeys, a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf program. To apply, visit www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys.

In January 2013, up to 1,000 public libraries, community college and academic libraries, and state humanities councils will be selected to receive:

• 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
• bonus 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.

The program aims to familiarize public audiences in the United States with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world. All of the materials and resources included in the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf have been selected with the advice of scholars, librarians and cultural programming experts. For more information, including complete lists of books and films, thematic description and resources to help get your application started, visit www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys or www.neh.gov/divisions/bridging-cultures.

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.

Two from Roads to Reading

These two opportunities from Roads to Reading do not seem as though they have hugely broad appeal for Connecticut, but really one never knows. 

The Books for All Kids Program provides free books to nonprofits, after-school programs, and child care centers. All book donations are announced through email alerts and are made on a first come, first served basis.

The Annual Competitive Book Donation Program. The Road to Reading's Annual Competitive Book Donation Program donates books to organizations that have a strong focus on remedial reading or tutoring. Organizations must be 501(c)3's and should be located in an under-served community whose population is under 50,000. The books that are available through this program are appropriate for ages 6 months to young adult. Eligible organizations include individual schools, libraries, and childcare centers. Deadline: March 30, 2012. 

Alibris Collection Award

The AlibrisCollection Award is an annual grant of books to an academic, public, special, or K-12 library supporting specific collection development projects that advance the mission, priority areas, and goals of the selected library. 

Applications seem pretty simple; create an online wishlist of desired titles and a brief statement of interest concerning the desired collection and needs of your particular library.

Entries must be received by December 1, 2011.

Bookapalooza

Bookapalooza is an annual program of the American Library Association’s Association of Library Service to Children. It offers a collection of materials "that will help transform a library's collection and provide the opportunity for these materials to be used in their community in creative and innovative ways." 

The deadline is December 1, 2011. Full details on the ALA site. 

Applicants must be personal members of ALSC and ALA.Shipping and handling charges for shipment of the Bookapalooza collection are the responsibility of the libraries selected; this can be as much as 600 pounds, can include as many as 12 cartons, and may cost between $200 and $400 at book rate.

Library of Congress Surplus Books Program

The Library of Congress's Surplus Books Program makes books available to educational institutions. The books are a mixture of topics with only a small percentage of publications at the primary and secondary school levels. Your library needs to send or designate someone to choose books from the collection and pay for shipping the material.

You'd get a mystery selection, kinda cool.