ALA presents “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” library outreach programs

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) are offering a new cultural programming grant opportunity for libraries. All types of libraries may apply to receive a $2,500 grant to support five reading, viewing and discussion programs featuring the documentary “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” and the companion biography of the same name. Online applications will be accepted at www.grants.gov through July 30.

The library outreach program for “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” is a collaboration among NEH, the ALA Public Programs Office and Nancy Porter and Harriet Reisen for Filmmakers Collaborative and has been designated as part of NEH’s We the People initiative, exploring significant events and themes in our nation’s history and culture and advancing knowledge of the principles that define America. Funding was provided by a major grant from NEH to the ALA Public Programs Office.

Libraries applying for a “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” library outreach grant must register their institution at Grants.gov. Prospective applicants are advised to register with Grants.gov as soon as possible, since the process can take up to two weeks to complete. Resources to help begin the application process for “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women” may be found at www.ala.org/louisamayalcott. Online applications must be completed by July 30.

Louisa May Alcott is recognized around the world for her novel "Little Women," but Alcott is scarcely known as the bold, compelling woman who secretly wrote sensational thrillers, lived at the center of the Transcendentalist and Abolitionist movements and served as a Civil War army nurse. The film, biography, and library programs will re-introduce audiences to Alcott by presenting a story full of fresh insights, startling discoveries about the author and a new understanding of American culture during her lifetime. The 30 selected libraries will present five reading, viewing and discussion programs focused on Louisa May Alcott, her body of work and her era. Libraries will be asked to enlist a lead project scholar with expertise in 19th-century American history or literature to help present and plan programs. For more information, visit www.ala.org/louisamayalcott.