State Library Awards Year 2000 Parent and Child Library Services Grants
State Librarian, Janet M. Welch, announced recently that the New York State Library awarded 20 competitive Parent and Child Library Services Grants totaling $300,000. State funds will go to 53 public libraries and neighborhood branches in both upstate and downstate New York locations. "Because of these grants, libraries will work with parents and day-care providers to teach children from diverse backgrounds the early skills needed to enter school and learn. We encourage public libraries to compete for those funds. 2001 applications will be due in April, 2001", said Welch.
Local public libraries submitted 39 grant applications for 2000 with requests totaling $548,771.00. This year's projects will provide after-school homework help for at-risk youth; computer training for parents and children in isolated and rural areas; access to free library materials for youngsters in Head Start and WIC (Women Infants Children nutrition sites); and will teach parents who are learning to speak English how to read aloud to their young children. Libraries will work with public schools, literacy programs, Chambers of Commerce, and many other partners in the effort to help more children enter school ready to learn.
Anne Simon, Program Officer for the State Library Division of Library Development’s Parent and Child Library Services grants, recommends that more libraries look at these grants as a way to promote literacy and educational opportunity for the people in their community who need it most. "Children from families where English is spoken as a second language and whose families are least able to provide experiences with books, language and computers are very much in need of the help that our free public libraries can offer."
Every year since 1993 the Governor and Legislature have funded the Parent and Child Library Services Grant Program. Public libraries that provide needed grants to help children with school performance and encourage parent involvement in their youngster’s education are most likely to receive the highly competitive awards. Libraries offering opportunities for preschoolers, after-school, weekend, and summer learning are most often funded because a parent's role is greatest at these times. Partnerships between the library and other community organizations including schools, child-care centers, historical societies, environmental centers and other cultural resources are encouraged.
The New York State Library’s Division of Library Development provides leadership and support to 7,000 libraries and library systems throughout the state. The Division strives to encourage and facilitate cooperation and sharing of resources so that all New Yorkers will have access to quality library services. The Parent and Child Library Services Grants are awarded and administered by the New York State Library’s Division of Library Development. More information on applying for Family Literacy (formerly Parent and Child Library Services) grants is available on the State Library's Web Site at http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/libdev/familylit/
The New York State Library is part of the New York State Education Department and is located in the Cultural Education Center of the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany, New York.
A list of New York State public libraries receiving Parent and Child Library Services grants follows:
AVOCA FREE LIBRARY; COHOCTON PUBLIC LIBRARY; E.J.COTTRELL PUBLIC LIBRARY, Atlanta, NY (Steuben County) - $13,050
REV: Reading Excitement through Videos – Three libraries in Steuben County will use reading kits with videos to reach out to families who are not currently using the library.
BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY (Kings County) - $41,363
Reading: A Key to Your Child’s Success – Brooklyn Public Library will develop model programming for parents and children with a focus on read aloud skills. Five libraries and outreach locations including daycare centers and the Family Reading Room at the Brooklyn House of Detention will participate. It includes training for library staff at 27 other branches.
CANAJOHARIE LIBRARY AND ART GALLERY (Montgomery County) - $9,275
Building Bridges for Youth – As part of a community-wide initiative, "Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth", the library will provide after-school programs including: homework help; presentations by parents and other community members on jobs, hobbies and community service; programs for parents. Participating youngsters will help build a library web-site to showcase their work and highlight youth and family interests.
FARMAN FREE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Ellington, NY (Chautauqua County) - $9,776
PC/PC: Parent-Child/Personal Computing – A computer literacy project for parents, preschool, and elementary school children that includes partnerships with the local schools, preschools, community service agencies, and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in this rural, upstate region.
GREENWICH FREE LIBRARY – (Washington County) - $15,044
Exploring My World – Multicultural programs, preschool playgroups, careers, people with disabilities, fantasy, and science are some of the topics to be explored by parents, young children, Head Start groups and the WIC site in an isolated, rural area served by this library. Kits for loan and library displays will support the programming.
HORSEHEADS FREE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (Chemung County) - $11,990
Beyond Books Plus – The library will expand on a heavily used series of educational multimedia kits for parents and children in grades 2-5. Home-schooled and non-public school students and their families are the target group.
JAMES PRENDERGAST LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Jamestown, NY (Chautauqua County) - $17,426
PARENT: Parents Are Reading Educators, Nurturing Teachers – Working with local organizations which serve families with newborns, families with young children, and teen parent families, the library will prepare and promote lesson packets of pre-literacy activities for this group.
JOHNSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY (Fulton County) - $14,309
TREK: Traveling through the Region with Exploration Kits – Kits will support the NY State Education Department’s learning standards for "Elementary Living Environment" learning through a variety of intergenerational activities that explore the ecosystems of the Southern Adirondacks and Upper Mohawk River Valley.
LEE-WHEDON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, Medina, NY (Orleans County) - $7,500
SHARE: Students Having Adults Read Everyday – This is a library-based, one-to-one reading program for 20 remedial readers who will work with volunteer tutors. The use of books, games, puzzles and computer programs will promote literacy skills. Reading activity kits will be given to parents to reinforce the library activities. Local schools will provide transportation to the library and will measure student improvement.
LIVERPOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY (Onondaga County) - $7,049
Project Links – Working with local middle schools, the Chamber of Commerce, the local Rotary, and Historical Association, the library will provide eight intensive learning sessions to promote knowledge of the community among middle school students and their parents. Skills involved include: research, writing, use of the library, computer and Internet use, and how to develop a web page.
MAHOPAC LIBRARY (Putnam County) - $14,368
Reading on the Road – Literacy Volunteers of America, the curriculum specialist at the local school district, and youth services staff of the library will bring storytimes, books and storytime kits to area nursery schools on a monthly basis. Training will be offered to local child- care providers.
MASTICS-MORICHES-SHIRLEY COMMUNITY LIBRARY, Shirley, NY (Suffolk County) - $13,448
Learning English: A Family Affair – This project will offer English instruction to ESOL students (English for Speakers of Other Languages) who are parents. It will also provide family storytimes to teach English through stories, songs and reading.
MIDDLE COUNTRY PUBLIC LIBRARY, Centereach, NY (Suffolk County) - $18,371
Family Place Literacy Institute – The Middle Country Public Library will conduct a prototype Family Place Literacy Institute training program for a statewide audience of children’s librarians. It will include outreach techniques, and adult and family literacy principles, and activities for implementation in a public library setting.
MIDDLEBURGH LIBRARY (Schoharie County) - $7,050
Books on Wheels – In collaboration with Head Start and other daycare providers, the library will offer family literacy workshops at the library and story- hour kits for home use.
NEW ROCHELLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (Westchester County) - $29,658
Satellite Library at Boys and Girls Club – Serving as a model of branch library development, the New Rochelle Public Library will open up library services to Hispanic and African American families at the August Mascaro Branch of the Boys and Girls Club. In addition, the two partners will offer a series of parent and child workshops culminating in a Family Night celebration at the New Rochelle Public Library.
NEWBURGH FREE LIBRARY (Orange County) - $4,557
Jump Start with Head Start – Library staff will conduct literature enrichment and computer literacy programs for bilingual Head Start families and staff.
OLEAN PUBLIC LIBRARY (Cattaraugus County) - $12,510
Books: The Best Medicine for the Mind, Part II – The Olean Public Library will implement their 1999 planning effort with two major local medical groups participating in the Boston Medical Center "Reach Out and Read" program. With the Friends of the Library, the Chautauqua Cattaraugus Library System and the Olean Area Community Literacy Partnership, this library-medical community partnership will assist doctors and medical staff to educate parents of children from birth to age 5.
PATTERSON LIBRARY, Westfield, NY (Chautauqua County) - $8,186
Books Good Enough to Eat –This project will assist low-income families to help children in grades 1-4 meet the New York State English Language Arts Standards. An appealing food-based theme will be used to motivate families to come to the library to participate in reading & writing activities.
PATTERSON LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, Patterson, NY (Putnam County) - $37,520
Lifelong Learners: Parents and Children – Part II – The project is based on the successful 1999-2000 program which assists middle school students who are failing one or more academic subjects. Through a variety of lively library programs, study skills and outdoor group activities, Part II will expand its scope to include students who are repeating a grade. As a collaborative, model partnership between the public library, local school, and youth services agencies, the project will continue to help the target group learn how to improve school performance through hands-on activities aimed at improving self-esteem. Families will learn to help each child define and reach his/her unique potential.
RICHMOND MEMORIAL LIBRARY, Batavia, NY (Genesee County) -$7,550
Special People, Special Needs – This project will provide story hours and literature-related materials for emotionally and physically disabled children who are enrolled in a local BOCES program and students of the New York State School for the Blind.