The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can be viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/102208a.shtm.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 22, 2008

 

Press Contacts

202-653-4632

Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask]

Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

 

Time to Apply for The Big Read

 

Application Deadline: February 3, 2009

 

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), announces the fifth deadline for The Big Read. The purpose of The Big Read is to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Grants ranging from $5,000 – $20,000 are available to encourage local communities to inspire reading by developing and carrying out programming revolving around a single work of literature. Programming must be conducted between September 2009 and June 2010. This will be the only application deadline in 2009.

 

Big Read grants require the participation of a library as a lead applicant or a partner. IMLS strongly encourages museums of all types to apply as lead applicants or as partner organizations in The Big Read. Communities across the country have strengthened their Big Read projects by enlisting the support of art, science, history, and children’s museums, as well as aquaria, arboreta, botanical gardens, nature centers, and zoos. Some library/museum Big Read collaborations include:

 

    * In celebration of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the Omaha Children’s Museum is hosting a “Build a Raft Challenge” in its Science & Technology Learning Lab to see what it takes to build a raft that will float down the mighty Mississippi, just like the characters in the novel.

    * The Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery in San Marino, CA, is using its collection of original and rare Jack London material to complement programming for The Call of the Wild. The museum/library is hosting a special exhibition featuring London’s Klondike diary, a first edition of the novel, a theater advertiser’s booklet for the 1935 film, an autographed London manuscript, and original letters and photographs of the author.

    * The novel To Kill a Mockingbird features more than fifty different food items. A lecture series at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, LA, is exploring issues related to food, many of which are particularly relevant to the South and the Great Depression. Presentations will examine how food is used to create tension and move along the plot; food and gender issues; and the connections between food and social justice. http://thebigreadnola.com.

 

Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive:

 

    * a grant,

    * financial support to attend a national orientation meeting,

    * educational and promotional materials for broad distribution,

    * an organizer’s guide for developing and managing Big Read activities,

    * guidance on working with local media,

    * inclusion of the organization and its activities on the Big Read Web site, and

    * the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative.

 

The Request for Proposals can be downloaded at www.NEABigRead.org. The proposal deadline is February 3, 2009. Questions should be directed to Arts Midwest at 612-238-8010 or [log in to unmask].

 

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

 

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

 

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information, please visit www.arts.gov.

 

About Arts Midwest

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.