SJRLC Connections

Target Corporation grants

The Target Corporation is accepting applications for the Local Store Grants funding program. The Local Store Grants program provides funding that supports reading programs, the arts, and family violence prevention.

The Local Store Grants program is open to libraries, schools, nonprofits, and public agencies. The funding, grants ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, are awarded for programs that impact the arts, early childhood reading, or family violence prevention.

The early childhood reading grants, for example, support programs that encourage children to read together with their families.

The deadline to apply is May 31, 2008. If you have any questions, call Target Community Relations at (800) 388-6740 or Community.Relations@target.com.

For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/r7van

FY09 Literacy Leadership Program Grants for Public Libraries

New Jersey State Library

FY09 Literacy Leadership Program Grants for Public Libraries

The New Jersey State Library is pleased to announce the availability of the third and final year of the Literacy Leadership Program Grants for Public Libraries funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through their Library Services and Technology Act Grants to the States program. A total of $200,000 is available in $20,000 maximum grant awards. The NJ State Library's literacy grant program will be re-evaluated for the following year.

The grant deadline is May 23, 2008.

To access the grant package go to:

http://www.njstatelib.org/News/news_item.php?item_id=960

Or click on "See what's new at the NJSL" on our Home page.

An optional technical assistance session will be held by program manager Michele Stricker at the NJ State Library on April 22, 2008 at 10 am. Registration is required. To register call Marcia Warfel at 609-278-2640 ext. 170, or email mwarfel@njstatelib.org.

Grants for historic preservation of buildings available

-----Original Message----- From: NJ Directors [mailto:vrosch@njstatelib.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 5:17 PM To: bromberg@sjrlc.org Subject: FYI: Grants for historic preservation of buildings available

For further information please go to http://www.njht.org/dca/njht/currentgrantschedule.html

Please do not reply to this message. If you need further information, please email njht@dca.state.nj.us.

CURRENT GRANT ROUND SCHEDULE

Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund

Grant Round - 2008

Historic Site Management Grants and Capital Preservation Grants, Level I and Level II

March 24, 2008: Guidelines and Applications are available for download

April 21, 2008: Applicant and Consultant Workshop at Rowan University in Glassboro, 2-4:30 p.m. The workshop will be video-conferenced to sites at Bergen Community and Cumberland County Colleges. To register for one of the three sites, email njht@dca.state.nj.us or call 609 984 0473. (Workshop attendance is recommended)

April 24, 2008: Applicant and Consultant Workshop at Church of the Epiphany in Orange, 1-3:30 p.m. To register, email njht@dca.state.nj.us or call 609 984 0473 (Workshop attendance is recommended)

May 8, 2008: Declaration of Intent to Apply is due to the Trust's Trenton office (Required)

May 27-29, 2008: One-on-One Consultations with staff are offered to potential applicants. To schedule a 30-minute staff session to discuss your proposal, email njht@dca.state.nj.us or call 609 984 0473. (Meeting is optional)

June 26, 2008: Applications for funding due to Trust's Trenton office by 4 p.m.

March 2009: Recommended grants will be approved by the New Jersey Historic Trust.

------------------------------------------------------------------------ The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription:

You are subscribed to NJ Directors using bromberg@sjrlc.org.

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL:

If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address. Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic unsubscribe mechanism.

You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen:

If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at:

GRANT: Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program
http://www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/index.html

Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to improve student reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained, professionally certified school library media specialists.

Applications Available: January 22, 2008.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 7, 2008.

Eligible Applicants: LEAs in which at least 20 percent of the students served by the LEA are from families with incomes below the poverty line based on the most recent satisfactory data available from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time this notice is published.

These data are Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates for school districts for income year 2005.  A list of LEAs with their family poverty rates (based on these Census Bureau data) is posted on our Web site at: www.ed.gov/programs/lsl/eligibility.html.

Estimated Available Funds: $18,570,261.  Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2009 from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

• Estimated Range of Awards: $30,000--$500,000.
• Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
• Estimated Number of Awards: 80.

Additional Information: Applicable regulations, priorities, and other information are available in the Federal Register notice.

Additional information is available online at:
http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2008-1/012208a.html

ALA Spectrum Scholarship

YALSA will be funding one ALA Spectrum Scholar for the 2008 year who is interested in pursuing a career in young adult librarianship or secondary school librarianship.  Spectrum Scholars receive a $5,000 scholarship towards the completion of a masters in library science.  The deadline to apply is March 1, 2008.

Spectrum's major drive is to recruit applicants and award scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students.  YALSA will provide a one-year $5,000 scholarship and over $1,500 in professional development opportunities to one eligible student planning to attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program for the purpose of securing a job in a public or school library that serves teens.

To be eligible for a Spectrum Scholarship:

• Applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada.
• Applicant must be American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
• Applicant must attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program.
• Applicant shall have completed no more than a third of the credit requirements toward her/his MLIS or school library media degree at the time of award, June 1st.
• Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited program and begin school no later than September 1st or the Fall Semester immediately following the award.
• Applicants may have full or part time status.

Apply today via the online form at http://tinyurl.com/ywfula

Please direct questions to Gwendolyn Prellwitz, Program Officer, ALA Office for Diversity & Spectrum, by emailing spectrum[at]ala.org or calling 1-800-545-2433 ext. 5048

2008 Coming Up Taller Awards

Posted on behalf of Nancy Dowd, NJ State Library
---------------------------------------------------------------

Be the first library to win this award

Applications are available for the "2008 Coming Up Taller Awards" of which IMLS is a partner. The awards recognize and reward outstanding after-school, out-of-school, and summer arts and humanities programs for underserved children and youth. The program is in its eleventh year, and so far not one library has ever won. State Librarian Norma Blake would like to encourage all libraries with programs that qualify for this award to apply. The deadline is January 31.

Recipients of a Coming Up Taller award receive $10,000 at a special ceremony in Washington, DC, an individualized plaque, and an expense-paid invitation to attend the annual Coming Up Taller Leadership Enhancement Conference.

To read more about the award and to link to the application please visit Blake's Blog at: http://www.njstatelib.org/blakesblog/ or visit http://www.cominguptaller.org/downloads/2008CUTNominationApplication.pdf.

Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Possible Free YA Program for Public Libraries

Posted on behalf of Sharon Rawlins, NJ State Library
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FREE YA Program offered by the NJ Theater Alliance in partnership with the NJ State Library and NJ Library Association

This is an excellent opportunity for public libraries large and small to get a FREE YA program.

The State Library and the New Jersey Library Association is partnering with the NJ Theater Alliance to provide one public library in each county a theatrical reading, workshop, or presentation geared for teens from March 8 - 31, 2008. These programs normally range up to $3,000. Here's the catch - you need to get your YAs involved. They get to pick the type of program they want and work with you to promote it to their peers.

We will be choosing one public library from each county. If you have a teen group or advisory board that will be willing to play a major role in choosing the program and promoting it, we want to hear from you! The teens must explain in the application how they are going to promote the program among their peers. One public library from each county will be selected on the basis of how creative, effective and realistic the ideas are for promoting the program. (Several public libraries already have successful partnership with the NJ Theater Alliance- this program is just for first-timers).

Specifics:
The presentations will be given at your public library from March 8 - 31, 2008.  Please select a program date for your public library.
Your public library will be listed in over 60,000 Family Weekly Calendars produced by the NJ Theater Alliance. A special insert will be printed for the participating public libraries with the specific dates and programs and distributed statewide.
All presentations will feature professionals appropriate to the program- i.e. - actors for presentations or workshops; professional makeup artists, etc.

Free YA Program Application
Offered by the NJ Theater Alliance in partnership with the NJ State Library and NJ Library Association Please submit the following information to srawlins@njstatelib.org  by January 28, 2008:


1. Make a check mark next to the one type of program that your YA Group would like to have come to your public library from below. The program content will be worked out between your public library and the NJ Theater Alliance after the public libraries are chosen.

A. Reading- professional actors will come and read a play chosen by your YA group.
B. Theatrical presentation- presentation of a play C. Workshop- YAs will learn behind the scenes secrets of makeup, stage combat, improv, etc.

2. Please tell us the ideas your YA group has for promoting the program among their peers. Remember creativity counts but the ideas must also be financially feasible.


3. The maximum amount of participants the space will allow (Small is okay! We just need to make sure the program fits the space).


4. List the public library contact person, phone and e-mail.


5. List three dates and approximate time of day/night that your YA group would like to have the program come to your public library

First choice:

Second choice:

Third choice:


If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Rawlins: srawlins@njstatelib.org  609-278-2640, ext. 116 or Nancy Dowd: ndowd@njstatelib.org  609-278-2640, ext. 122

Videoconferencing Grant

Grant news from the State Library:

The New Jersey State Library is pleased to announce the availability of a Videoconferencing Grant Request for Proposals. The RFP may be accessed from our grants page: http://www.njstatelib.org/LDB/Grants/grntrfps.php.

As stated in the preface to the RFP, the goal of the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) is to create a new level of access to communications for all public libraries in the New Jersey Library Network by implementing a videoconferencing network. 

Through the strategic placement of four new videoconferencing centers in public libraries and a fifth one at the New Jersey State Library, the State Library intends to provide convenient access to meetings, training, educational and library programs.

These grants are designed to serve the librarians and their customers at the community level by making available easy access to meetings and programs available through this technology.  The New Jersey State Library seeks to identify libraries that will commit to use the videoconferencing equipment for library, library association and community meetings and programs as needed. 

These grants will provide the equipment needed to host a videoconferencing center, the installation of the equipment and the training for use of the equipment.  Each recipient of a NJSL Videoconferencing Grant will be required to act as a resource to assist other New Jersey librarians to communicate through this network, as well as to provide the staffing to operate the equipment and make it available to libraries and library groups from around the state.

Grant info: Making the Nonfiction Connection

Thanks to Pat Bruder, EIRC for bringing this to our attention:

Heinemann-Raintree announces the launch of a new grant program for educators, the "Making the Nonfiction Connection" Grant. This grant offers schools the opportunity to apply for Heinemann-Raintree nonfiction books valued up to $5,000.

The purpose of the grant is to recognize and reward extraordinary educational programs that promote the use of series nonfiction and enhance nonfiction literacy. Two grants will be awarded, one for libraries and one for classroom use. Each grant will award $5,000 worth of Heinemann-Raintree books to the successful applicant. Grant applications must be received by October 1, 2007. Winners will be announced by October
31, 2007.

See http://tinyurl.com/28hoxj for details.

Announcement of grant funds

Thanks to Peggy Cadigan at the New Jersey State Library

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Community-Oriented Connectivity Broadband Grant Program is designed to provide financial assistance to furnish broadband service in rural, economically-challenged communities where such service does not currently exist.

Grant funds may be utilized to deploy broadband transmission service to critical community facilities, rural residents, and rural businesses and to construct, acquire, or expand, equip, and operate a community center that provides free access to broadband services to community residents for at least two years.

Grants will be awarded, on a competitive basis, to entities serving communities of up to 20,000 inhabitants to ensure rural consumers enjoy the same quality and range of telecommunications service as are available in urban and suburban communities.

From June 29 press release:

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2007 — Deputy Agriculture Secretary Chuck Connor today announced the availability of $8.9 million in grants for communities without broadband service to provide residential service and connect facilities such as police and fire stations, health care, libraries and schools.

"The Community Connect Grant Program has proved to be effective in reaching those rural communities where broadband service is least likely to be deployed," Conner said. "Connecting residents and essential community facilities improves local services and the protection of the citizens of these communities."

Deadline to apply is August 13, 2007.  For a grant application and more information: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm or http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/

Public Library Literacy Leadership Program Grants

Via Michele Stricker on the NJ-Pub-libs listserv
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Library Literacy Leadership Program Grants (FY08)

The New Jersey State Library announces that $200,000 in grant funding is available to public libraries to develop literacy skills in local communities throughout the state. 

The grants are designed to assist public libraries in starting, strengthening or expanding programs in areas such as family literacy, financial literacy for immigrants or teens, English as a Second Language and English for speakers of other languages.  Program proposals may include one-on-one or group literacy instruction, but the key criteria that the New Jersey State Library seeks in awarding these grants are pilot projects that demonstrate innovation and will serve as a model for other public libraries to replicate, and sustainability beyond the grant period.  The maximum grant award is $20,000.

"These literacy grants reflect the New Jersey State Library's on-going efforts to enhance and expand the capacity of public libraries to meet the challenging and growing needs of the state's residents and their communities.  The commitment of the State Library includes using its staff and resources to administer the grant.  Ultimately we hope the awarded grants will provide model literacy programs that other public libraries can follow to better serve their communities," stressed Norma E. Blake as New Jersey State Librarian.

For the grant application visit the New Jersey State Library's website
or: http://www.njstatelib.org/News/news_item.php?item_id=546

Grant application deadline May 1, 2007.

Technical Assistance Workshop at NJSL April 2, 2007 at 10:00 AM.  For registration contact Janice Holt at 609-292-2992 or jholt [at] njstatelib.org

For further information contact:

Michele Stricker, MLIS
Consultant, Library Development Bureau
New Jersey State Library
PO Box 520
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-3831
mstricker [at] njstatelib.org