The American Library Association (ALA) invites library workers to apply for the inaugural Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader responsible for creating National Library Week and the Celebrity READ series.
The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant supports meaningful programs in libraries with limited programming budgets. ALA will award up to three grants of $2,500 annually. Libraries that are interested in applying may submit applications between now and February 5, 2021. Read the grant guidelines and apply online.
"Peggy was truly a force within ALA and in the library world, and her impacts are still being felt today," said ALA President Julius C. Jefferson. "She passionately believed in the ability of libraries to change lives, especially through programming. It is fitting that her legacy will live on through this grant."
The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant will support a different type of library programming each year. This year, ALA invites libraries to submit applications in support of humanities-based programming. Recipients may use the funding to continue an existing program or create a new one.
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.
Barber served as ALA's associate executive director of communications from 1970 to 2000. She established ALA's Public Information Office, Public Programs Office, and the ALA Graphics department in that role. After leaving ALA, Barber 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.
Donations from Barber's friends and colleagues created The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant. To support the grant, contribute 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.
