5 Literacy & Library Grants for National School Librarian Day

When people think of libraries, they oftentimes think of public libraries first. However, school libraries also play a big role in promoting the importance of reading and getting children excited about literacy. School librarians spend numerous hours making sure that children have access to reading materials to learn more about the world around them. On April 4th, people all over the country celebrate this hard work and dedication by celebrating National School Librarian Day.

GrantWatch will be honoring the day by sharing five grants for literacy and libraries below. These grants are critical to improving literacy rates across the country. According to the Literacy Project, 45 million Americans are illiterate, meaning they can’t read above a fifth-grade level. Literacy teaches people useful skills that help them go far in life. Without it, people would not be able to get out of poverty and get good jobs. According to the organization Literacy Together, “Literacy plays a significant role in reducing gender, race, nationality, and religious inequality that favors one group over another in access to education, property, employment, health care, legal, and civic participation.”

Grants for National School Librarian Day

1. Award of $5,000 to a U.S. school library to recognize outstanding humanities programming. Eligible nominees are libraries in K-8 private and public schools. Programs areas include, but are not limited to, social studies, poetry, drama, art, music, language arts, foreign language, and culture.
2. Grants of up to $3,000 to U.S. and territories nonprofit organizations, public schools, and libraries to purchase books for mobile lending libraries serving underrepresented children. Funding may go to purchasing fiction and nonfiction books geared for children and youth from preschool through 8th grade.
3. In-kind donations of books to U.S. nonprofits, schools, colleges and universities, museums and libraries, and local, state, and federal government agencies to build library collections. The books must be chosen in person by a representative at the funding source’s facility in Washington, D.C.
4. There are also book donations to U.S. schools, Title 1 educators, and after-school programs to benefit low-income students. The purpose of the program is to provide teachers with additional resources to instill a love of learning and reading in their students. Grants will be awarded to the schools with the most creative and meaningful initiatives.
5. In-kind donations of books to U.S. nonprofit organizations to benefit children from underserved and low-income backgrounds. Eligible organizations are those seeking to build, expand, or add to a small library, as well as those presenting new books for children to take home.

GrantNews Notes

Looking for similar grants? GrantWatch has a category specifically for Literacy & Libraries grants on its site. This category includes more than 400 grants for nonprofits, schools, early literacy grants, health literacy, and financial literacy.

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