The Lisa Libraries: ongoing book distribution

The Lisa Libraries donates new books to organizations serving children in low-income areas, and helps to start or expand children’s libraries in places such as day care centers, prison visiting areas, and after school programs.

If you are affiliated with an organization serving low-income or underserved populations that needs a small library, needs to rebuild or add to a library, or serves children who would benefit by being given new books to take home, you have nothing to lose and new books to gain.

National Archives' Electronic Records Projects

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals to increase the capacity of archival repositories to create electronic records archives that preserve records of enduring historical value.

Deadline: 6/9/2011

Applications are for start-up or collaborative projects; projects in this category cannot digitize historical records.

• Start-up projects: Develop the capacity of institutions to prepare to capture and preserve electronic records, through program planning; or

• Collaborative projects: Establish and/or improve electronic records archives by engaging in effective and innovative collaboration

I once heard the Archivist speak at a conference; he was great.

National Alliance for Accessible Golf's Grant Program for People With Disabilities

Grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to nonprofits working to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to learn and enjoy the game of golf.

The committee reviews completed grant applications received by the last day of each month in 2011.

Starbucks Foundation's Shared Planet Youth Action Grants

The Starbucks Foundation accepts applications from organizations that provide young people a continuum of services in developing creative approaches to address pressing concerns in their communities.

Grant awards average $10,000 to $30,000 with a one-year time frame.

Successful grant applicants will exhibit all of the following qualities:

• Deliver services to youth, ages 6 - 24
• Preference will be given to organizations that focus on young people in the age range of 12 and older, when they are able to take independent action
• Provides opportunity to combine learning with action that support communities and further global citizenship
• Deliver services, disseminate information, provide training and/or build broad networks
• Provide opportunities for Starbucks partners and multiple stores to be engaged in community service

Deadlines seem to be ongoing.

NEH: Preservation and Access Research and Development

These NEH preservation grants (different from the ones that support small institutions) support projects that address major challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources. The maximum award is $350,000 for up to three years.

These challenges include the need to find better ways to preserve materials of critical importance to the nation’s cultural heritage—from fragile artifacts and manuscripts to analog recordings and digital assets subject to technological obsolescence—and to develop advanced modes of searching, discovering, and using such materials.

Eligible projects include

• the development of technical standards, best practices, and tools for preserving and creating access to humanities collections;
• the exploration of more effective scientific and technical methods of preserving humanities collections;
• the development of automated procedures and computational tools to integrate, analyze, and repurpose humanities data in disparate online resources; and
• the investigation and testing of new ways of providing digital access to humanities materials that are not easily digitized using current methods.

Deadline: May 19, 2011

Part-time Project Assistant available, Hartford Public Library

Project Assistant (Part-Time), see http://www.hplct.org/jobs.shtm

The Hartford Public Library seeks creative and flexible individual to assist in the day-to-day management of the Institute for Museum and Library Services grant to foster immigrant civic engagement. This is a part-time nonbargaining unit position. This position is grant funded. The Library has no obligation to continue funding this position upon termination of the grant period.

Responsibilities: Assisting with organization or meetings and events. Prepare materials for meetings, participatory hand-outs and other logistics. Promoting project activities to target audiences; including organization of project materials and data as related to activities. Receive training as a Cultural Broker and assist with mentoring immigrant families and volunteers to Library services and external support services. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in related discipline. Minimum of two years experience working with a diverse immigrant community with demonstrated ability to foster communication between diverse populations. Candidate must: have general computer proficiency with expertise in word-processing, spreadsheet and database programs; ability to communicate effectively and establish and manage effective working relationships with users, employees, supervisors, and the general public; and possess communication skills necessary to resolve issues. For a complete description of the duties, qualifications and requirements of this position please read the job description.

Hourly rate of $16.59.

Job description and application are available from the Administrative Offices, Hartford
Public Library, 500 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103 and on our website; www.hplct.org.

Signed applications must be received by April 16, 2011.

Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions

Preservation Assistance Grants help small and mid-sized institutions, such as libraries, museums, historical societies, archival repositories, town and county records offices, and colleges, improve their ability to preserve and care for their 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 arts, textiles, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, furniture, and historical objects. Amounts are up to $6,000.

Deadline: May 3, 2011