Win a $2,500 or $1,000 Grant

Freedom to Read Foundation announces competition for two Banned Books Week grants

Judith Krug Fund will provide $2,500 and $1,000 awards to Read-Outs

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), through its Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund, will provide two grants—one for $2,500 and one for $1,000—to two organizations to support “Read-Outs” celebrating Banned Books Week 2010.  Applications for the grants will be accepted through Aug. 27, and the announcements will be made the week of Sept. 6.  Banned Books Week 2010 will be held Sept. 25–Oct. 2. 

This is the first announced project for the Judith Krug Memorial Fund, established after Krug’s death in April 2009.  Krug was the founding executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, which was established in 1969 as a First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association (ALA).  Krug founded Banned Books Week in her capacity as director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom.

A Banned Books Week Read-Out is an event during which people celebrate the freedom to read by gathering to read from books that have been banned or challenged over the years.  To help kick off this year’s Banned Books Week, ALAwill be holding its annual Read-Out on Saturday, Sept. 25 in Chicago’s Washington Square Park—also known as Bughouse Square.  Authors of some of the most frequently challenged books of 2009 will be reading from their works, including Lauren Myracle (the ttyl, ttfn,l8r g8r series), Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson (“And Tango Makes Three”), Stephen Chbosky (“Perks of Being a Wallflower”), and Carolyn Mackler (“The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things”). Award-winning (and frequently challenged) author Chris Crutcher will emcee the event.

 “Judith Krug always loved the Chicago Read-Outs,” said Freedom to Read Foundation President Kent Oliver.  “She enjoyed talking with the authors, the performers and particularly with the many young readers who came to hear the authors and get some wonderful books!  She also always delighted in learning about other events going on around the country.  She was so proud of Banned Books Week and how it was embraced nationally in schools, libraries, universities, book stores and online.  We’re thrilled to offer these grants to encourage others around the country to hold their own celebrations of our freedom to read.”

To apply for a Judith Krug Banned Books Week Event grant, visit www.ala.org/krugfund.  Organizations are required to submit an event description, timeline and budget with their application, as well as agree to provide a written report and video to FTRF following Banned Books Week.  For more information on Banned Books Week, visit www.ala.org/bbooks.  A compendium of thousands of books that have been banned and challenged can be found in the “2010 Banned Books Resource Guide,” available via the ALA Store at www.alastore.ala.org.  You can also purchase Banned Books Week posters, buttons, bookmarks, t-shirts, bracelets, and tote bags there. 

Contact Jonathan Kelley at jokelley@ala.org or Nanette Perez at nperez@ala.org with questions, or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 4226.

Making a Difference, One Storm Drain at a Time

Fall Creek Public Library is teaming up with local organizations and community members to promote the health of local waterways. On August 21, 2010, 9:45AM, Fall Creek Library will stencil “Drains to River – do not dump” above Fall Creek’s storm drains. This project is volunteer-based--anyone over the age of 10 can sign up at the library. A potluck will follow clean-up.

This project will encourage community members and visitors to take a closer look at waterways, streets, and pollution. Many people do not realize that everything that flows down the drains goes to local waterways. Leaves, grass clippings, lawn chemicals, animal feces, oil, refuse from carwashes, trash and cigarette butts are most likely to end up in waterways via storm drains. This community-wide project promotes the “act local, think global” philosophy, including the pollution of waterways. Everyone has the power to make positive changes, one little storm drain at a time!

Volunteers are needed to spray paint the drains, clean up, be group leaders, and safety leaders.  If you are unavailable August 21, you can still help! Donations are requested for garbage bags, rags, duct tape, spray paint, and safety mouth/nose masks. Volunteers are needed to place door hangers one week before the stenciling, pass around handouts to friends and family, and to post signs around town.  

Contact coordinator Jenna Gilles at 715.877.3334 or jgilles@ifls.lib.wi.us for more information or to volunteer. Volunteers under age 18 are required to have a permission slip signed. All participants are required to sign a safety and responsibility form. Upon request, the library will provide an official recognition letter for volunteers’ schools or businesses. Inclement weather date is August 28. This event is a culmination of a summer reading program with the theme Make a Splash @ Your Library! 

Thanks to Karen R. Hurd Nutritional Practice, LLC for her generous donation to help fund the project. 

Old Spice Man Speaks Out For Libraries

Check out this you-tube video of the Old Spice guy speaking out for libraries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu-KBxOtJxs

BadgerLink Posters, Bookmarks, Promotional Items

The BadgerLink staff at Resources for Libraries & Lifelong Learning (RL&LL), Department of Public Instruction, along with EBSCO staff are working together to revise the BadgerLink posters, bookmarks and other promotional items. Several of these new products are available now at:

        www.ebscohost.com/custom/default.php?id=325

Feel free to print and distribute these materials to your library’s users OR post these materials on your library’s website!  We have some materials already printed. Contact us at dpibadgerli@dpi.wi.gov to request any of these. 

Last fall the BadgerLink staff asked for the community’s opinions regarding promotional material. The BadgerLink team used this input to begin working through revising the materials for libraries.    Design, production, and printing assistance are provided by EBSCO as part of its statewide contract with BadgerLink. This current array of promotional items represents the first results from that process.

The work continues!!!  We will add to the material over the coming months adding more posters and bookmarks and other materials! If you would like to give BadgerLink staff feedback or make suggestions let us know at:

        forms.dpi.wi.gov/se.ashx?s=56301B2D4CC6DCBF

BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Its goal is to provide access to quality online information resources for Wisconsin residents in cooperation with the state's public, school, academic, and special libraries.

Grant Resources Available at LEPMPL

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire is a Foundation Center Cooperating Collection Member.  That means they have some terrific resources and rich databases for finding the best matching grant for your project.  Most of these materials need to be used in the library, including the database.  You can attend an open lab on Wednesday, July 21 from 10-12:30 to use the database in a supported environment.  Or you can go to the library any time during open hours to use the computer.  If you need more than an hour, be sure to talk to the reference staff, and they'll give you extra time if you are using the grant collection.

Sand Creek's Library Renovation

“The idea for the library renovation literally started with a light bulb going on…actually 34 of them,” exclaimed Cathy LeFevre, Director of the Clarella Hackett Johnson Public Library in Sand Creek. “While my husband Bob changed bulbs, he discovered that above the dropped acoustic tile was a ceiling of old growth Douglas fir. ‘Can you imagine what the library would look like with taller bookcases and that ceiling exposed?’ ” A retired cabinetmaker, Bob LeFevre made a sample bookcase and a schematic drawing of the library renovation and presented it to the Sand Creek community in 2009.  Bookcases or children’s book bins could be “purchased” for the cost of materials and each had a place for an engraved plaque to honor the donor.  A local matching grant sparked a flurry of grant writing, Friend’s book and bake sales, and two spaghetti suppers. 

In November 2009, production on the new library furnishings began.  Bob donated over 500 hours for the library renovation--building, sanding, varnishing and installing the new cabinetry and workstations, and sanding and varnishing the ceiling. Additional community volunteer labor was requested to move the library, remove the old carpet, paint the library (a gorgeous sage color) and move everything back in a timely manner. “It was an intense three weeks!” remarks Cathy, “throughout the renovation-- Bob’s vision, talent and hard work has been amazing and the support of the Library Board and community has been remarkable.  Almost all the bookcases and bins have donation plaques on them, and the entire project was accomplished without taxpayer monies. Because of limited funding, we had to ‘think within the box’ to make the library the best it could be.” (In 2009 taxpayers voted to raise the tax levy and enable Sand Creek’s Library to join the MORE system this fall.) “We are proud that the community realizes the importance of supporting their library and as an 11-year-old patron so accurately exclaims: ‘the library looks WAY COOL now!’”