Upcoming Opportunities
These opportunities are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program
The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides $10,000 in funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns to start the Community Heart & Soul model. Grant funding requires a $10,000 cash match from the participating municipality or a partnering organization. For more information, visit the program website.
Nora Roberts Foundation Literacy Grant
The Nora Roberts Foundation Literacy Grant is available to United Stated based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that provide direct literacy education. Eligible organizations may apply once per year around quarterly deadlines, submitting detailed proposals that emphasize their literacy work, intended impact, and nonprofit credentials. For more information, visit the applicants’ webpage.
Introduction to project budgets
July 1, 2025 | 1:00 p.m. (Central)
Are you ready to start fundraising for your project or idea, but don’t know what and how much to ask for? If preparing a budget for your foundation grant is holding you back, come learn the basic elements of how to draft a project budget with confidence. This class will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to generate a standard project budget for a foundation proposal. For more information, visit the course website.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION Library Microgrant Opportunity
July 5, 2025
In partnership with their local Public Broadcast Service station libraries are invited to participate in this special engagement opportunity around THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION — a sweeping six-part, 12-hour documentary series chronicling the birth of the United States from Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. This microgrant opportunity offers libraries $750 in funding to support community programming and engagement tied to the themes of the series and is a great opportunity to connect with the community around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Project activities could include film screenings, history discussions, exhibits, book clubs, speaker events, youth projects, or other innovative ideas that bring local communities into conversation about the American Revolution and its enduring legacy. For more information, visit the request for proposals.
Getting Over Imposter Syndrome
July 22, 2025 | 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Do you have that little voice inside your head telling you you’re not doing enough, you’re not qualified enough, and everyone around you knows more than you do? That’s imposter syndrome talking, and according to recent studies, 70% of the professional workforce experiences it at some point in their careers. Join us to hear from a career expert as we discuss why imposter syndrome is so prevalent and ways to overcome it. For more information, visit the event webpage.
Cross Timbers Library Collaborative Conference
July 24-25, 2025
This conference provides the opportunity for libraries across the Cross Timbers region to showcase activities, services, and technology happenings in their libraries. Cross Timbers spans from southeastern Kansas to Central Texas. The University of North Texas Libraries will be hosting the 2025 conference online on July 25, 2025 to reflect on our successes and challenges as they relate to this year’s theme: “Advocacy and Resilience: Navigating Uncertain Times.” The primary conference goal is to promote information sharing, bring awareness to successful (or unsuccessful) programs, and provide an affordable training opportunity for libraries in the region. For more information, visit the conference website.
Elevating core skills with new Library Foundational Training (LiFT) courses
July 30, 2025 | 3:00 – 4:00a.m. (Eastern)
The Library Foundational Training (LiFT) courses build on the popular ABLE Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) curriculum while introducing fresh content and innovative learning approaches. This webinar offers an overview of the Collection Management series, the first series of the LiFT courses. Understand the findings from WebJunction’s surveys of the field regarding core library skill needs; become familiar with topics in the LiFT Collection Management courses and how they address core foundational skills; and learn how to create a staff development plan using the LiFT courses. Join this webinar to find out how the Collection Management LiFT courses can be used to empower staff and enhance library services. This webinar is designed for public library staff—from front-line workers to directors and managers, state library continuing education staff, and anyone involved in staff training or in collection development. For mor information, visit the webinar webpage.
Literacy Everywhere Contest
September 12, 2025
Literacy is everywhere! What does it look like for your family? Share a photo, video, or artwork showing us how your family reads, learns, and plays together! Family literacy means spending time reading, learning, and playing together–anywhere and anytime! A family can include parents, grandparents, siblings, caregivers, or anyone who joins in. Show us how your family comes together to read, learn, and play in all kinds of places and at all ages. You could win $1,000 in cash and a trip to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy’s National Celebration of Reading in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit the contest website.
Ongoing Tools
These tools are available for free unless otherwise noted. Descriptions are provided by host organizations.
Tips for seeking foundation grants in a time of crisis (article)
In a time of federal funding cuts and uncertainty, Candid shares essential tips for nonprofits seeking foundation grants—emphasizing relationship-building, flexible funding requests, and free tools to help organizations navigate a shifting funding landscape. For more information, visit the online article.
Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Newsletter
The most recent edition features information about the organization’s leadership, a partner spotlight, CSLP author talks, a mural tool kit, and a manual highlight. Read the CSLP newsletter online or subscribe and receive it in your inbox each month.
Demco FREE Grant Search
Demco’s FREE allows you to search for current available grants without the cost of an expensive subscription. You are invited to use it as much as possible to find the right funds for your library or organization. The database is updated regularly so please check back often for new opportunities. For more information, visit the Demco website.
Building Community-Based Wellbeing or “Social Prescribing” in the Library (webinar)
Join Rebecca Hass and Tammy Turner as they share several social prescribing initiatives and projects inspired by global models and research on the health benefits of meaningful activities and social connection. Humans are social; however, we are in an epidemic of loneliness. Social prescribing is a model of care that empowers health professionals to formally prescribe non-clinical community activities, like the arts, movement, nature, and service (volunteering) to improve patient health. Social prescribing is intended to broaden the health professionals’ toolkits rather than to replace pharmacological measures. Libraries can be part of that toolkit. For more information visit the webinar webpage.
Relighting Your Programming Fire (webinar)
Planning programs is a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of work. When working with a small budget, struggling with other responsibilities, and trying to please your community, you can very quickly find yourself on the path to burnout. It’s not easy to feel passionate and excited about planning programs when you’re running on empty. So let’s make programming fun again! In this course, Chelsea Price, tiny library director and author of 209 Big Programming Ideas for Small Budgets, offers up strategies for combatting burnout and feelings of job-related guilt, helpful resources for relighting your programming fire, and awesome program ideas to fit any budget. For more information visit the webinar webpage.
SaveYour.Town
SaveYour.Town is an organization dedicated to revitalizing small towns by providing practical, realistic strategies and inspiration for community development. Founded by Deb Brown and Becky McCray, it offers resources like webinars, toolkits, and customized support to help local leaders and residents address common challenges—such as economic decline, population loss, and limited resources—while embracing the unique strengths of their communities. With a focus on action-oriented, grassroots solutions, SaveYour.Town empowers people to create positive change where they live. For more information, visit the organization website.
Let your ambition light you up, not burn you out (TED Talk)
Burnout shouldn’t be the price of success, but setting boundaries at work is easier said than done. Tarveen Forrester, who oversees workplace culture at Kickstarter, shares practical strategies for protecting your time and cultivating “sustainable ambition,” so you can crush your goals — without letting them crush you. For more information, visit the talk’s webpage.
Libraries Transform Texas Podcast
This podcast highlights the vital role libraries play in communities across Texas. Each episode features interviews with library professionals, educators, advocates, and thought leaders who share about innovative programs and services, community impact, and the evolving role of libraries in the current age. The podcast aims to inspire and inform listeners about how libraries are not just places for books but a dynamic community hub. Episodes can be accessed from the Texas Library Association website.
Libraries in the News Around Texas
Libraries in the News Around Texas is a weekly curation of news stories featuring libraries in the state of Texas. Articles are shared for informational purposes and do not reflect the views of TSLAC. If something is published about your library, send the link to mailto:mld@tsl.texas.gov, so it can be shared in the next issue. To subscribe, complete this online form.
Texas America250
Are you a Texas library, school, courthouse, local government, or other cultural institution interested in hosting a traveling exhibit to participate in the America250 celebration of the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? Check out our webpage on the topic and use our online request form to let us know you’re interested!
Libraries Foster Social Connection: Responding to the Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (webinar)
Libraries can play a vital role in building social cohesion and promoting community resilience, especially in challenging times. The Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation brings even greater urgency to the need for us to connect. This engaging session explores ways to intentionally design for social connection in library services and programs, from passive to hosted. These innovative and practical strategies can deepen engagement with staff, trustees, local officials, volunteers, and community members of all ages and backgrounds. Through the lens of “social connector,” we explore how libraries can invite the community in with intention, build relationships that enhance social infrastructure, put community at the center of the library, and demonstrate the library’s impact.
Strengthening social cohesion can be accomplished in ways that adapt to libraries of all sizes and budgets. Engagement strategies can support many facets of library work, from strategic planning and community assessment to programming and partnerships. The strategies are highly scalable – you can start small, build skills, and maintain flexibility. For more information, visit the webinar webpage.
Living Our Values Out Loud: Programs that Walk the Talk
(webinar)
From zero-waste events to upcycling to refreshments, how we choose to carry out our work in libraries says a lot about our values. We can’t just pay lip service to sustainability—we need to practice what we’re talking about! This webinar will be an inspiring discussion with a panel of practitioners who have found ways to design, implement, and evaluate library programs using frameworks that better represent their libraries’ values, such as the triple bottom line definition of sustainability and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.For more information, visit the program website.
Need more support?
Resource Archive
Wish you had access to a repository of all the tools that are featured in the monthly Library Management Updates? Check out our Resource Archive for more information.
Continuing Education
In addition, be sure to peruse our continuing education offerings. Our resources are constantly updated, so check back often.
Questions?
For more information, visit our management services page or contact Christina Taylor at ctaylor@tsl.texas.gov.
