IMLS News July 2021

Take a Leaf Out of Colorado’s Book: How to Encourage Early Literacy For more than a decade, the Colorado State Library has encouraged young children and their families to read in a variety of successful ways. Read More

NEWS

Five High Schoolers Selected for the Country's Most Prestigious Youth Poetry Honor Five high school students from across the country have been chosen from among thousands of award-winning poets to serve for a year as National Student Poets, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work.

Library Grants for National Leadership, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Programs Now Open IMLS is accepting FY 2022 proposals for the National Leadership Grants for Libraries and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian programs through September 24, 2021.

IMLS Announces New Deputy Director, Office of Museum Services Laura Huerta Migus has been appointed the agency's new Deputy Director, Office of Museum Services. Huerta Migus comes to IMLS from the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), where she served as Executive Director.

IMLS, Foundation for Advancement in Conservation Announce New Collections Assessment for Preservation Program A new three-year agreement between FAIC and IMLS is offering collections conservation assessments for 300 small and mid-sized museums through the CAP program. Applications are currently being accepted through September 15.

BLOGS

IMLS CARES Act State Library Spotlight: Broadband Partnerships and Competitive Grants in North Carolina Timothy Owens, the State Librarian of North Carolina, shares how broadband connectivity and digital inclusion at libraries have been a critical part of the state's Covid response.

Showing Their Pride: How Museums and Libraries Become Allies and Partners During June and throughout the year, museums and libraries are sharing the stories and supporting the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.

IMLS CARES Act State Library Spotlight: Digital Inclusion and PPE Subgrants in Michigan IMLS talked to the Michigan State Librarian about the transition to virtual activities and supporting community needs.

DEADLINES

Sept 15: Collections Assessment for Preservation Program The Collections Assessment for Conservation (CAP) program supports small and mid-sized museums better care for their collections.

Sept 24: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports the development of a diverse workforce of librarians and archivists in order to meet the information needs of their communities.

Sept 24: National Leadership Grants for Libraries The National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L) supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice in these professions to strengthen library and archival services for the American public.

FCC GRANT OPPORTUNITY

FCC Emergency Connectivity Fund Program to Provide $7.17 Billion to Close Homework Gap From June 29 to August 13, eligible schools and libraries can apply for financial support to purchase connected devices like laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons during the COVID-19 emergency period. During this application filing window, eligible schools and libraries, in addition to school/library consortia and Tribal libraries eligible for IMLS support, can submit requests for funding to purchase eligible equipment and services between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. More information about the program is available at emergencyconnectivityfund.org, including information about how to apply. Schools and libraries can sign up to receive programs updates and information about future training sessions. Help with program questions is also available by calling 800- 234-9781 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST. The $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund was established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) will serve as the program’s administrator with FCC oversight.

EVENTS

Aug 24: National Medals Virtual Ceremony Join IMLS Director Crosby Kemper at 4pm ET for a one-hour ceremony honoring the six National Medal for Museum and Library Service recipients. Learn more about these amazing museums and libraries from their staff and the community members who engage with them.

Sept 15: Conversations with Crosby Join IMLS Director Crosby Kemper for a discussion with American educator, historian, and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch. An email invitation is forthcoming. For more information about upcoming events, please subscribe to email updates or check the IMLS event page.

Sept 17-26: National Book Festival The Library of Congress has announced the 2021 National Book Festival, which promises an exciting experience throughout the extended 10-day virtual festival.

IMLS "On the Road"

July 28 - Aug 1: 11th National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL) - Deputy Director for Library Services Cyndee Landrum and Senior Program Officer Sarah Fuller.  Aug 1 - 8: New Mexico Site Visits - IMLS Director Crosby Kemper Aug 2 - 6: The Society of American Archivists Virtual Annual Meeting: ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2021: Together/Apart - Associate Deputy Director, Discretionary Programs Anthony Smith and Program Specialist Maeve Coudrelle.  Aug 5: Digipalooza 21 - IMLS Director Crosby Kemper will participate in the panel discussion "Digital Access for All: How Government Investments for Libraries and Schools in 2021 are Succeeding," moderated by Alan S. Inouye, Senior Director of Public Policy and Government Relations for the American Library Association. This presentation will provide information regarding the CARES Act, ARPA and other government initiatives to help bring everyone online. Presenters will provide both a national perspective with examples of how libraries can benefit from government grants for pandemic relief, as well as recent local wins and best practices on navigating the maze of funding. Aug 5: Association of African American Museums’ Annual Conference (virtual) - Chief Administrator Christopher Reich will present the session “Building Institutional Capacity with Purpose.” Aug 11: National Medalist Site Visit - IMLS Director Crosby Kemper will visit Highwood Public Library, one of the six National Medal Winners, along with Congressman Brad Schneider who nominated the library for the award.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.   IMLS News  Brief articles alert readers to new information about grants, monthly highlights of best practices, and important agency news with links to more detailed information on the website. Past and current issues of the newsletter and subscription information are available on our website.

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