The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant is an annual grant of the American Library Association (ALA) that recognizes, promotes, and supports meaningful programs in libraries that have limited and/or no access to budgetary support for programming.
The grant, named after the late library leader Peggy Barber, aims to help ease library budget challenges by awarding three libraries $2,500 to support a proposed program, program series, or programming effort.
Each year, the grant will focus on supporting a specific type of library programming. For the 2023–2024 cycle, libraries are invited to submit applications for a grant to support programming related to civic education. Some example proposals could include: 1) a program focused on voting (i.e. a book discussion on the history of voting, a program to register voters, an event teaching patrons about voting rights, etc.); 2) a program teaching media and/or information literacy skills to build an informed general public; or 3) a program relaying avenues for community advocacy, such as how to run for local office.
Applications for the 2023-2024 cycle are now open! Please review the links below to learn more about the opportunity and how to apply.
Margaret "Peggy" Barber was a transformative leader in ALA and the library field who was behind the creation of National Library Week and the Celebrity READ series. Read Library Journal's tribute.
After she passed away in September 2019, Barber's friends and colleagues created the Peggy Barber Tribute Fund within ALA's Cultural Communities Fund, which recognizes and funds outstanding cultural programming in libraries. These generous supporters have made this annual grant possible.
Make a donation to support the Peggy Barber Tribute Grant.
Past winners
- 2023: Brookings (S.D.) Public Library, Gill Memorial Library (Paulsboro, N.J.) and Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Public Library. (Read ALA's press release announcing the winners of the 2023 grant)
- 2022: Aztlán Center at Colorado State University (CSU) Pueblo Library, Highgate (Vt.) Library and Community Center, Udall (Kan.) Public Library. (Read ALA's press release announcing the winners of the 2022 grant)
- 2021: Harrison (N.Y.) Public Library, Montana Department of Corrections’ Library, West Liberty (Iowa) Library (Read ALA's press release announcing the winners of the 2021 grant)