ALA invites library workers to apply for the fourth annual Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader responsible for the creation of National Library Week and the Celebrity READ series.
The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant is an annual grant that recognizes, promotes, and supports meaningful programs in libraries that have limited and/or no access to budgetary support for programming. This grant aims to help ease budget challenges by annually awarding three libraries $2,500 to support a proposed program, program series, or programming effort.
Applications for the award will be accepted from December 1, 2023, to February 1, 2024. Read the grant guidelines and apply online.
Each year, the grant will focus on supporting a specific type of library programming. For the 2023–2024 cycle, libraries are invited to submit applications for a grant related to civic education.
Example proposals could include: a program focused on voting (i.e. a book discussion on the history of voting, a program to register voters, an event teaching patrons about voting rights); a program teaching media and/or information literacy skills to build an informed general public; a program relaying avenues for community advocacy, such as how to run for local office.
All library types — including public, academic, K-12, tribal and special libraries — in the U.S. or U.S. territories are eligible. Applicants must have a personal or institutional membership with either the American Library Association OR the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.
Last year’s winners of the Peggy Barber Tribute Grant were Brookings (S.D.) Public Library, Gill Memorial Library (Paulsboro, N.J.) and Mount Kisco (N.Y.) Public Library. The awarded library programs focused on increasing library access for underserved community members.
Peggy Barber served as ALA's associate executive director of communications from 1970 to 2000. In that role, she established ALA’s Public Information Office, Public Programs Office and the ALA Graphics department. After leaving ALA, she was a principal consultant with Library Communication Strategies and served as co-president of Friends of Libraries USA, now known as United for Libraries. She passed away in August 2019.
The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant was created with donations from Barber’s friends and colleagues. To support the grant, make a contribution to the Peggy Barber tribute fund within ALA’s Cultural Communities Fund.
To stay informed about future grants and awards offered by ALA’s Public Programs Office, sign up for the Programming Librarian e-newsletter.
