Tune Into Iowa Public Radio November 12th
State Library Communication Specialist Emily Bainter has this news: Iowa Public Radio is set to announce all three 2021 All Iowa Reads titles—the adult book, the teen choice, and the children’s book. The announcement will be made LIVE on Thursday November 12th (10:00AM) on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa program.
Emily writes: “We would LOVE to have libraries host informal listening parties . I’ve included a poster linked below with the announcement information. Just print it and display it in your library. We’ll also have more information on the AIR kick-off webinar in late January (date to be determined) We are excited to again partner with Iowa Public Radio to announce the All Iowa Reads titles and create a buzz for the 2021 program! “
IPR Host Charity Nebbe will be joined by Jillian Rutledge, Public Services Manager at Waterloo Public Library and by Angie Manfredi, Youth Services Consultant at the State Library. They will be on hand to reveal the All Iowa Reads titles and authors for 2021. This will be the second year that the new AIR titles have been announced on the Talk of Iowa program. Listeners can stream the program live at the link below or tune to your local IPR station on the radio: find an IPR station. 1
Resources
About All Iowa Reads
All Iowa Reads has fostered a sense of unity through reading since 2003. Iowans are encouraged to come together in their communities to read and talk about a single book in the same year. In 2017, All Iowa Reads Teens and All Iowa Reads Kids programs were launched to include younger Iowans in the program.
About Talk of Iowa
Talk of Iowa runs weekdays at 10:00AM on Iowa Public Radio (IPR) Hosted by Charity Nebbe, Talk of Iowa brings a mix of guests and a range of experts to the microphone to discuss what’s happening in Iowa and what makes this a special place to live.

ALA Grants Lead to Community Conversations
The American Library Association (ALA) invites libraries in small and rural communities to apply for grant funding to assist in addressing issues of local concern through community conversations. This grant project is titled “Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small, Rural Libraries.”.
Up to 650 U.S. libraries in small and rural communities will receive $3,000 each to tackle issues ranging from media literacy to COVID-19 safety to unemployment. The deadline to apply is December 2, 2020; grants will be awarded in 2021.
Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries is part of ALA’s longtime commitment to preparing library workers for an expanding service role. This grant initiative is offered in partnership with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and is supported by a private donor along with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Many Iowa library directors heard about this at District Office Hours recently. Merservey Public Library Director Chelsea Price ( chelseaprice@meservey.lib.ia.us ) and Southwest District Consultant Becky Heil ( becky.heil@iowa.gov ) are on a national committee to help spread the word about this grant program. You’re welcome to contact either of them with questions. And visit ALA’s website for much more information at the button below, including
- Project Guidelines
- Library Eligibility
- Frequently Asked Questions
- A “Before You Apply” Video
- Online Application
The Public Library Association has very cool and colorful early literacy calendars available to usher in the new year. Based on the Every Child Ready to Read practices of reading, writing, singing, talking, playing, and counting, each download contains twelve months of learning activities, books lists, nursery rhymes and more.
One side displays daily skill-building activities; the flip side contains supplementary content like nursery rhymes, early literacy tips, song lyrics, or suggested reading material. The calendar pages are also customizable with each containing a designated spot to add your library’s logo and contact information. Use these calendars to help your library’s patrons engage in early literacy activities every day of the year.
These calendars are not free, but they are affordable at $29.99 from the ALA Store linked below. PLA provides this idea for how to use the calendars locally: Herrick District Library in Michigan incorporated the 2020 Early Literacy Calendar into its online resources by creating a gallery of early literacy activities and caregiver tips, which included on-demand videos of their children's librarian sing-a-longs, book recommendations, and PDFs of the calendar. View their gallery to get ideas on how to maximize PLA’s 2021 Early Literacy Calendar @ your library.
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