The California Humanities is accepting applications for its Library Innovation Lab (LIL) program to support the design and delivery of responsive and relevant public humanities programming in California’s public libraries.
Donor Name: California Humanities
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/01/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,500
Grant Duration: 10 months
Details:
Library Innovation Lab (LIL) is a nationally recognized program that aims to build the capacity of California public libraries to provide responsive and relevant public humanities programming through a practice-based professional development experience and participation in a peer- oriented learning community. state. Each participant has designed, implemented, and assessed an innovative short-term public humanities project to engage immigrants in their community.
The LIL program aims to build on these efforts by supporting library-based public humanities programs that will enable immigrants to express and share their experiences, stories, traditions, values, dreams, and hopes for the future, deepening their connection to others in their families and communities, as well as to their new home. By providing opportunities for all community members to develop greater understanding of what it means to make a new life and a new home in a new place, public humanities programming can help build bridges between new and long-term residents of their state.
More generally, California Humanities hopes to build the capacity of participating library staff and libraries to provide engaging humanities learning opportunities and experiences that will reach and interest all Californians.
Principal objectives with this program are to:
- Foster innovative and creative public humanities programming in and by libraries through application of Design Thinking methods;
- Build the capacity of participating librarians and libraries to provide welcoming experiences for immigrants that will contribute to building more inclusive communities;
- Use collaborative learning and reflective practice as a means of professional growth and development
Funding Information
The maximum award is $5,500.
Project Period
March 1 – December 31, 2023
Eligibility Criteria
A California public library (system or branch) must serve as the “Applicant Library” If the library wishes, a library-affiliated nonprofit organization with active federal tax-exempt status (e.g., a Friends group or library foundation affiliated with a California public library system or branch library) may serve as a “Fiscal Sponsor.” This organization will receive the award funds and will be responsible for seeing that they are used for approved program activities, in collaboration with the Applicant Library.
Participation in the cohort is limited to librarians or other library staff members with direct public programming responsibilities; only one person from each applicant library can serve in this capacity. This person will serve as the “Project Director” and will be their primary contact for the grant. This person should be in place at the time the application is made and any changes in project personnel after the award is made are subject to approval by California Humanities.
For more information, visit Library Innovation Lab Grants.
