ALSC enhances creativity programming in 79 libraries with Curiosity Creates Grants

For Immediate Release
Thu, 10/29/2015

Contact:

Angela Hubbard

Program Officer, Projects & Partnerships

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

(312) 280-1398

ahubbard@ala.org

CHICAGO – The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has announced the 79 recipients of Curiosity Creates grants. Each library will receive up to $7,500 to support exciting new creativity programming to promote exploration and discovery for children ages 6 to 14. This grant has been made possible by a generous donation to ALSC by Disney.

ALSC President Andrew Medlar is especially excited that these Curiosity Creates grants will support and spotlight the transformative role libraries serve in their communities by enabling programs and spaces that nourish the development of children’s imagination and critical thinking, which are vital to success in the 21st century economy, and is grateful to Disney for sharing this commitment to their future.   

Over 400 applications were received from libraries representing all regions of the United States, comprising a wide range of diversity in both population and programming. ALSC is eager to further support creativity programming and the informal learning that takes place in libraries across the nation and will disseminate a report of best practices at the end of the grant. For an update on the grant programs and to learn more about creativity programming, join us at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston for a News You Can Use Session: Research and Best Practices in Creativity Programming for Children. Additional resources, including a free webinar in early January, will be added to the ALSC website on an evolving basis.

Curiosity Creates grant recipients are:

Alexandria Library - Beatley Central Library VA
Apalachicola Municipal Library FL
Attleboro Public Library MA
Avon Free Public Library CT
Baldwin Public Library NY
Baltimore County Public Library MD
Bayard Taylor Memorial Library PA
Blount County Public Library TN 
Broward County Library FL
Calvert Library MD
Carnegie Free Library of Beaver Falls PA
Carroll County Public Library MD
Carter County Public Library KY
Cheboygan Area Public Library MI 
Defiance Public Library OH
Derby Public Library KS
Douglas County Public Library GA
Dunham Public Library NY
Eastern Shore Public Library VA
Edith B. Ford Memorial Library NY
Fairfield Public Library CT
Free Library of Philadelphia's Kensington Neighborhood Library PA
Glacier County Library MT
Glen Ellyn Public Library IL
Gloucester County Library System- Mullica Hill Branch NJ
Hialeah Public Libraries FL
Highland Park Public Library IL
Homer Public Library AK
Inglewood Public Library Ca
Jefferson County Library CO
Kenai Community Library AK
Lee County Library MS
Lillian Marrero Neighborhood Library PA
Live Oak County Library TX
Livingston Public Library NJ
Lone Cone Library District dba Norwood Public Library CO
Louisville Free Public Library KY
Maude P. Ragsdale Public Library GA
McCracken County Public Library KY
Milton Free Public Library NH
Monroeville Public Library PA
Morgan County Public Library WV
Morton-James Public Library NE
New Brunswick Free Public Library (NBFPL) NJ
North Plainfield Memorial Library NJ
Norway Memorial Library ME
Ocean County Library NJ
Ontario City Library- Friends of Ontario City Library CA
Orange County Library System FL 
Perry Public Library OH
Pio Pico Koreatown Branch CA
Piscataway Public Library NJ
Portneuf District Library ID
President Millard Fillmore Library UT
Pueblo City-County Library District CO
Reading Public Library PA
Salem County Bookmobile Library NJ
San Diego Public Library CA
San Jose Public Library CA
San Lorenzo Library CA
Seminole Community Library at St. Petersburg College FL
Sevier County Public Library System TN
Show Low Public Library AZ
Singletary Memorial Library TX
Skokie Public Library IL
Smyrna Public Library GA
Spokane Public Library: South Hill Branch WA
Springfield City Library MA
Springfield Public Library OR
St. Mary's County Library MD
Stair District Library MI 
Swanton Public Library  VT
Toledo Lucas County Public Library OH
Tom Green County Library System TX
Warren P. Sewell Memorial Library of Bremen GA
West Georgia Regional Library System GA
West Hartford Public Libraries CT
Widener Neighborhood Library PA
Woodbury Public Library NJ

About ALSC

The Association for Library Service to Children is the world's largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. ALSC's network includes more than 4,000 children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults dedicated to creating a better future for children through libraries.