<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small">Thank you so much to our colleagues here in Oregon for sharing about their Libraries Transforming Communities grant-winning ideas! I hope you enjoyed the inspiration that came from so many different projects receiving funding :)</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:georgia,serif;font-size:small"><div class="gmail_default">If you missed the original flurry of posts, <b>applications for ALA's Libraries Transforming Communities grant program for small and rural libraries</b> (<a href="http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/focusgrants/libraries" target="_blank">http://www.ala.org/tools/librariestransform/libraries-transforming-communities/focusgrants/libraries</a>) <b>are open for the second round until March 4</b>, and ALA is hoping to see more applications from the western states. The grant has a very simple application and very minimal reporting requirements, and public, academic, and school libraries are all eligible to apply.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">To apply, a library must either serve a population of 25,000 or less (small) or be more than 5 miles from an urbanized area of 25,000 or more (rural). Individual branches in a system or district are eligible to apply, as long as they meet one of the criteria above. That's almost all of us!</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">The premise is that, if the library is awarded the grant, a staff member (or multiple) takes part in an online course designed for small and rural libraries on holding a community conversation (about 4 hours), and that the library agrees to host one community conversation, which can be virtual, using the model. Conversations for the second round are asked to be completed by October 31, so there's plenty of time if you hope to hold your conversation in person, and the success of your grant isn't based on how many people take part.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">The grant provides access to the training and $3000 to spend on something related to the conversation -- and that could be ANYTHING, from staff time to books to a Zoom license to hotspots to circulate to a traveling makerspace kit... I think your imagination is the only barrier. </div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to me, Stephanie Chase, the Executive Director of the Libraries of Eastern Oregon (<a href="mailto:director@librariesofeasternoregon.org" target="_blank">director@librariesofeasternoregon.org</a>) or directly to ALA for a 20-minute consultation (<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDPcFtf2D3J5FWYKaL_jY0tNkFgCVkBogAswnIgoMENCOs9w/viewform" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDPcFtf2D3J5FWYKaL_jY0tNkFgCVkBogAswnIgoMENCOs9w/viewform</a>). The grant program's website has lots of resources, including sample proposals. I am also holding two Zoom Q&A sessions, on <b>Tuesday, February 16 from 1 to 2pm</b> and <b>Thursday, February 18 from 9 to 10am</b>, if you would like to ask questions or share ideas. The Zoom info is below.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default">Stephanie Chase</div><div class="gmail_default">Executive Director, Libraries of Eastern Oregon</div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><div><b>LTC Grant Drop In Q&A session<br>Tuesday, February 16 from 1 to 2pm</b></div><div><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zoom.us/j/99020426995?pwd%3DK0owY2JxYnhvc1JMVGJ4eFlwVzVpdz09&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1KRJ25zsXSBmGFHdKGdNC4" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(26,115,232);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.2px;white-space:pre-wrap">https://zoom.us/j/99020426995?pwd=K0owY2JxYnhvc1JMVGJ4eFlwVzVpdz09</a><span style="color:rgb(60,64,67);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.2px;white-space:pre-wrap">
Meeting ID: 990 2042 6995
Passcode: 794723
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)</span><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>LTC Grant Drop In Q&A session</b></div><div><b>Thursday, February 18 from 9 to 10am</b></div><div><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://zoom.us/j/99950549733?pwd%3DR1kxUW9MMUV2c2d3SlpWdWN2L2U5QT09&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1zU3snbdxAkZZnJHB0fMsi" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(26,115,232);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.2px;white-space:pre-wrap">https://zoom.us/j/99950549733?pwd=R1kxUW9MMUV2c2d3SlpWdWN2L2U5QT09</a><span style="color:rgb(60,64,67);font-family:Roboto,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:0.2px;white-space:pre-wrap">
Meeting ID: 999 5054 9733
Passcode: 451717
Dial by your location
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)</span></div></div></div></div>