Information from the ALA Public Programs Office

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the ALA Public Programs Office (PPO) are now accepting applications for two new traveling exhibitions.

Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience
Based on a permanent exhibition at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, “Pride and Passion” tells the story of black baseball players in the U.S. over the past century and a half. Baseball is one of America’s central institutions, and it has long reflected the complicated and painful history of race in the United States. Through a cultural timeline of American history which will be part of the “Pride and Passion” exhibit, visitors will be able to place the African American baseball story into the larger context of American history. Application information can found at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/SGL_PrideAndPassion.html

John Adams UnboundThis traveling exhibition is made possible by a grant from the NEH to the Boston Public Library. “John Adams Unbound” explores Adams’s personal library – a collection of 3,500 books willed by Adams to the people of Massachusetts and deposited in the Boston Public Library in 1894. Through photo-reproductions of these annotated volumes, viewers will witness one of our Founding Fathers wrestling with intellectual and political ideas at every stage in his long life – as a boy, university student, Boston lawyer, revolutionary, diplomat, President and citizen of the early American republic. Application information can found at http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/SGL_JohnAdams.html.

Librarians applying to host either of these exhibitions in their public, academic or special library must first register their institution at Grants.gov. All applications must be completed by April 4, 2008. For more information, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.

Now accepting applications for Picturing America℠
In order to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture, Picturing America℠ brings some of the nation’s greatest works of art into school classrooms and public libraries. Successful applicants will receive a set of forty high-quality reproductions of American masterpieces, a teachers’ resource book and additional educational resources available at http://PicturingAmerica.neh.gov.

Applications are now being accepted for Picturing America, a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities, conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association. Applications may be submitted online at http://picturingamerica.ala.org through April 15, 2008.

Public, private, parochial, and charter schools and home school consortia (K-12), as well as public library systems and school districts, are invited to apply. Awards will be announced in May 2008 and distributed in September 2008 for display during the 2008-2009 school year and beyond. For more information about Picturing America, including a list of the artwork featured, grant guidelines, and the online application, visit http://picturingamerica.ala.org.
Grants available for “Let’s Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness”
The Public Programs Office, in collaboration with the Fetzer Institute’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, is now accepting applications for Let’s Talk About It: Love & Forgiveness, a theme-based reading and discussion program. Complete application information, including program guidelines and reading lists, can be found at www.ala.org/letstalk.
Let’s Talk About It: Love and Forgiveness will follow the well-established ALA reading and discussion series format “Let’s Talk About It,” using classic and contemporary literature to explore stimulating and relevant themes, including: Love and Forgiveness in the Presence of the Enemy; Love and Forgiveness in the Light of Death; and Love, Forgiveness and Wisdom. Thirty public libraries will be selected to each receive $2,500 program grants and supporting program materials. Applications are due July 15, 2008, and selected libraries will be announced in August 2008.

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ALA Public Programs Office
www.ala.org/publicprograms