WSFA 12 News Montgomery, AL |"Alabama School Libraries" week

"Alabama School Libraries" week

MONTGOMERY, AL - Alabamians are being asked to be an advocate for students and school libraries by celebrating Alabama Instructional Media Association's (AIMA) first ever Alabama School Libraries Week.

The event begins Monday, November 9 and continues through Friday, November 13.  

"We want every school library media program to participate in this new event. In this time of less funding for public school libraries, it is important for all library media specialists to promote what he or she does to enhance student academic achievement, said Dr. Ginger Eastman, library media/technology educational specialist for the Alabama Department of Education.

Alabama's libraries took a hard hit with the exclusion of appropriations in the budget for fiscal year 2010. With only local funding available for Alabama's school libraries, the Alabama Department of Education is open to all areas for resources to help teach students the importance of reading.

Various resources are posted on the AIMA website to download and use freely for Alabama School Libraries Week. These files include posters, bookmarks, and suggestions for activities to use throughout the week.  To access these files, go to Membership Resources, then to Newsletters and Files, then click on Alabama School Library Week. Also, make sure to download Scholastic's research publication, School Libraries Work, to see why libraries are so important to the future of Alabama's students.

You can sign up for Alabama School Libraries Week on the Alabama Library Media Online site (ALMO). The state department would like to capture statistical information on how many students and library media centers are participating.

Click on the General Library Information button. Click on Ginger Eastman's email and send the following information:

• School Name
• Media Specialist Name
• Number of Students participating

Please send event pictures to Ginger Eastman for posting on ALMO and for more information, also email Ginger Eastman or go to the AIMA website: www.alaima.org or the ALMO website: www.alex.state.al.us/librarymedia.

Grants and awards are great resources to help libraries in need. Please see below for funding opportunities a school could qualify for.

NEA's Books Across America School Library Grants

For schools with under resourced school libraries:   

http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/grant-application/books-across-america/

Deadline: November 20, 2009

The grant is $1,000 and The Pearson Foundation will match the grant with $1,000 in books from Penguin and DK Publishers. Fifty grants are awarded this year. 

Collaborative School Library Media Award

Sponsored by Highsmith http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/div/aasl/aaslawards/collaborativeslm/aaslcollaborative.cfm

Deadline: February 1, 2010

Innovative Reading Grant

Sponsored by Capstone Publishers http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslawards/innovativereadinggrant/aaslreading.cfm

Deadline: February 1, 2010