Public Programs Office (PPO)

ALA announces recipients of $1 million in community engagement funding for small and rural libraries

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has announced the recipients of nearly $1 million in funding for small and rural libraries, the second grant distribution as part of the association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries initiative.

Albany (N.Y.) Public Library awarded ALA’s Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its second Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant to the Albany (N.Y.) Public Library for their Branching Out program, a community initiative that aims to uplift local Black voices in music and art.

ALA, Dollar General Literacy Foundation announce 16 public libraries receiving adult literacy grants

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) and Dollar General Literacy Foundation have announced 16 U.S. public libraries to receive 2021 American Dream Literacy Initiative grants, $5,000 awards to expand services for adult English language learners or adults in need of basic education and workforce development.

Virtual programs and insights from a time of crisis

CHICAGO — From the moment the pandemic took hold in Spring 2020, libraries and library workers have demonstrated their fortitude and flexibility by adapting to physical closures, social distancing guidelines, and a host of other challenges. Despite the obstacles, they’ve been able to stay connected to their communities—and helped connect the people in their communities to each other, as well as to the information and services they need and enjoy.

Free online games from ALA and the FINRA Foundation make financial literacy fun for kids

The American Library Association (ALA), in partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, has released a collection of free online games to teach children basic financial skills related to earning, saving and spending money.

The four interactive games — part of a series called Thinking Money for Kids and available at tm4k.ala.org — are designed for children ages 7 to 11 but are appropriate for other ages as well. They include:

School librarians invited to apply for $5,000 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award

CHICAGO — School librarians are invited to apply for a $5,000 award recognizing outstanding humanities programming in kindergarten through eighth grade, the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office announced.

Nominations for the 2021 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award will be accepted until May 5, 2021. In light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on programming, submissions of virtual programs are highly encouraged.

ALA awards community engagement grants to 200 small/rural libraries; invites applications for 450 additional grants

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the first 200 recipients of its Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Focus on Small and Rural Libraries grants, while also inviting applications for a second funding round that will distribute an additional $1.4 million to libraries.

12 rural public libraries selected to receive funding to offer bilingual exhibitions and STEAM programming

Note: Contact the Space Science Institute at:

Media Contact:
Karly Pitman, 720-974-5874
Executive Director 
pitman@spacescience.org

Program Contact:
Keliann LaConte, 720-974-5835
Principle Investigator, STEAM Equity Project
Professional Development Manager
klaconte@spacescience.org

ALA releases free practitioners' guide, webinar series on adult media literacy education

CHICAGO — Imagine that you are working at the reference desk when a patron comes to you with a question. They cite a “fact” that has been widely debunked, mentioning an article from a publication that you know to be untrustworthy. What can you, as a library worker, do to educate and inform them?

In response to the need for media literacy education, the American Library Association (ALA) has released a free digital guide and related webinar series to help library workers plan for moments like these.