TSLAC Awards $2.1 Million in Texas Library Grants for FY2018

Friday, August 18, 2017 • Austin, Texas • News Release

Workforce development resources, tools for promoting tech literacy and a wide range of impactful community programs topped the list of grant proposals recently approved by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Agency commissioners approved  69  library grant awards totaling $2.1 million for numerous Texas libraries, institutions of higher education, and related nonprofit organizations.

The commission awards library grants annually through its Texas Reads, Impact, TexTreasures, Library Cooperation, and Special Projects grant programs. The majority of funding for these local awards come from the federal Library Services and Technology Act via the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C.

“Communities in every corner of Texas will benefit from the resources that have been made available through this list of forward-thinking grant proposals.” said TSLAC Director and Librarian Mark Smith. “The ideas formed in these grants align directly with our agency mission to ensure that citizens have access to the information they need to lead informed, productive, and fulfilled lives.”

“We have given the green light to some truly powerful proposals designed to offer Texans the tools necessary to meet the ever-changing needs of the future,” stated Texas State Library and Archives Commissioner Chairman, Michael C. Waters, “Funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services are essential to allow us to increase the impact of the work carried out by the information service professionals and citizens that we serve in every corner of the state.”

A full list of statewide award winners can be found tsl.texas.gov/grants. A sample of winning libraries show the diversity of projects and communities recognized through TSLAC grants.

Arlington Public Library System — Small Business Workshops  (Amount Awarded: $9,200)

Arlington Public Library will purchase seats in live workshops presented by expert speakers through the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE), to be held at the Arlington Public Library and three partner libraries in Mansfield, Kennedale, and Grand Prairie.  The workshops will target small business needs and will be free of charge to the students.  These small businesses workshops will provide Texans with business skills they may use to enhance their economic and personal goals.

 

El Paso Public Library — ¡Repararlo! Repair It @ Your Library (Amount Awarded: $8,552)

The El Paso Public Library will take part in the world-wide movement of Repair Cafés and be the first organization in Texas to host this innovative program that builds community, teaches job skills, reduces waste, and saves money. The Repair Café pairs inquisitive adults and teens who bring broken items to the library with professionals and talented amateurs who can help them learn how to make simple repairs. Adults and teens will learn the basics of electronics, mechanics, and other useful trade skills. The Repair Café will also provide information about how to further pursue developing these types of skills in a professional or educational environment.

 

University of Houston — This Is Our Home, It Is Not for Sale 16mm Film Preservation Digitization and Access Project  (Amount Awarded: $24,750)

The University of Houston Libraries (UHL) proposes to digitize, describe, and make freely accessible online 112 16mm filmed interviews from the documentary collection This Is Our Home, It Is Not for Sale. The collection documents histories of segregation, gentrification, and urban development focused on the Houston neighborhood of Riverside Terrace. The UH Libraries will preserve master files, catalog and index the recordings, and publish them to the UHL Digital Library.

 

Frisco Public Library — Community Publishing Hub (Amount Awarded: $75,000)

As part of a program to increase cooperation and promote improved educational, workforce, and entrepreneurial opportunities for their shared users, Frisco Public Library will partner with Frisco Independent School District, Collin College, Friends of the Frisco Library, McKinney Library, and Heritage Association of Frisco to create a Community Publishing Hub to serve the North Texas residents, with a focus on Collin and Denton counties. The Hub consists of an Espresso Book Machine, training in its use, and instruction in writing, editing, book design and book marketing. The book machine will enable users to turn their manuscripts into a retail quality paperback books in less than 10 minutes. The book machine and one-on-one book machine instruction will be offered by the Frisco Public Library, while writing and editing instruction will be offered by the partner organizations.

 

Harlingen Public Library — Boys and Girls Club Reading Rooms (Amount Awarded: $4,575)

The Harlingen Public Library and the Boys and Girls Club of Harlingen will work together to create reading rooms at three of the Boys and Girls Club centers. The Reading Rooms will house small, rotating collections of books appropriate for children in grades kindergarten through grade 8. Library staff will visit the Reading Rooms each month to swap a portion of the books. For special holidays and seasonal events, the library staff and Boys and Girls Club staff will present a story time. Library staff and Boys and Girls Club staff will also work together to help the children and their parents get library cards.

For additional information about these grant programs, visit: tsl.texas.gov/grants