ALA's American Dream Initiative

It’s possible for your library to receive $10,000.00 to support services for English language learners OR  to support adults in need of basic workforce skills through ALA’s American Dream Literacy Initiative.  Public libraries are eligible if they serve adult English language learners AND are located within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center, or corporate office. Visit the Dollar General Store Locator to verify.

Funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the American Dream Literacy Initiative has provided more than $1.5 million in funding to 188 libraries since the program’s inception in 2008, reaching approximately 25,000 English language learners. The grants allow libraries to

• augment their print and digital English As Second Language (ESL) collections
• increase computer access and training
• provide job training
• hold English language learning general education classes and citizenship classes
• raise the visibility of services for immigrant populations

Applications for the 2019 American Dream Adult Literacy Grants will be accepted through December 14, 16 grants will be awarded nationwide.  Access the online application at the button below. 

American Dream Grant Application

Available Through IEEE

This grant news comes from Southeast District Consultant Becky Heil by way of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. The IEEE Science Kits for Public Libraries Grant is offering up to $2,000 in funding to public libraries in the Midwest, including the entire state of Iowa, for the creation of circulating math and science collections.

The grant seeks to be a catalyst for educating students about how math and science are used for the benefit of humanity and to provide seed money for creation of a science kit collection that will make a lasting impression on the community. Past grants have allowed several Midwestern libraries to develop science kit circulating collections, giving students access to prepared experiments and science materials that they might not encounter in the traditional classroom.

Additionally, these libraries have created educational programs that allow students to conduct experiments at the library. This is a program of IEEE-Region 4, serving Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and more Midwest states.

Click below for sample science kit descriptions, grant guidelines, the application form itself, and testimonials from past grant recipients. Marshalltown PL (IA) is a past grant winner.  Applications opened on November 1^st and remain open through January 19, 2019.  Grant announcements will be made in late February—good luck, Iowa public libraries!

IEEE Grant Info

Happy Thanksgiving!

All State Library offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday this week.  So in looking ahead to next week, registration is open in the C.E. Catalog for these classes:

November 29 == Library Horizons: What’s New From ARSL 2018 Conference (1:30-3:00PM) If you missed the Association for Rural and Small Libraries annual conference in September, then join a panel of Iowa conference goers as they talk about their favorite sessions. Becky Heil with Southeast District will host a panel of attendees sharing what they learned at this year’s ARSL conference in Springfield.

November 30 == Big Ideas Book Discussion (9:30-11:00AM)  Next in the Big Ideas Book Discussion series is Our Towns: A 100,000 Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James and Deborah Fallows. This is a study of small town America—the fly over states—where people are optimistic about the future because they are so much a part of shaping the future. Of all the people the authors interviewed for this book, librarians from small towns feature prominently. 

C.E. Catalog

An extended Thanksgiving Holiday for me means that the Eye-Opener takes a holiday next week, too.  Look for the next Monday Morning Eye-Opener on December 3.