Feb. 11, 2009

The Michigan Center for the Book today announced that it has awarded a total of $4,150 in grants to 12 libraries and other organizations throughout the state to help fund events that promote books and reading.

Those receiving grants include Michigan Center for the Book affiliates:

• MetroNet Library Consortium/Southeast Michigan (based in Farmington) - $425 for "Everyone's Reading Diane Rehm's 'Finding My Voice'"
• Hillsdale Community Library - $425 for "Hillsdale County Reads The Glass Castle"
• Southfield Public Library - $425 for "Authors @ Your Library with Bernice McFadden"
• Grand Rapids Public Library - $425 for the "Celebration of the Book"
• Peter White Public Library (Marquette) - $500 for "Once Upon a Time," a fairy-tale series for children and their families
• Genesee District Library (Flint) - $425 for "Meet the Author" with Juan Williams
• Howell Carnegie District Library - $425 for "Livingston Reads 'The Final Season'" and "All the Stars Came Out That Night"

and five non-affiliate programs:

• Ironwood Carnegie Library - $175 for "The Big Read 2009 ? 'The Maltese Falcon'"
• Chesterfield Township Library - $250 for the "Giggle Poetry Concert" with Bruce Lansky
• Kalkaska County Library - $250 for "An Evening with Joe Heywood"
• Kalamazoo Public Library - $250 for "Reading Together Reads Rick Bragg's 'Memoirs of Home'"
• Bayliss Public Library (Sault Ste. Marie) - $175 for "Curious Creatures" with Unkle Ake Larson

"Programs like the ones we're able to fund for 2009 help people of all ages form real connections with literature and great story-telling and, hopefully, inspire them to explore a wider variety of books and authors," said Karren Reish, Michigan Center for the Book coordinator.

"We want to provide - for as many Michigan residents as possible - the opportunity to experience literature in engaging ways," said Reish. "A hands-on experience like meeting an author and questioning him or her about the writing process, or reading and discussing books as a community, is a powerful way to learn about not only Michigan's rich literary heritage but also the larger world around us."

Kalkaska County Library Director Kathleen Mosher echoed the sentiments of other grant recipients, excited about the quality programming made possible by Michigan Center for the Book grants.

"Our library has worked very hard over the last year to find a way to bring author Joe Heywood in for a community program, but it was difficult to make it happen," said Kathleen Mosher, director of the Kalkaska County Library. "With partial funding from the Michigan Center of the Book, a donation from the Friends of the Library, and money from our limited program budget, we're now able to host Joe at our library. Our patrons are excited to hear that he will be speaking in Kalkaska!"

The Michigan Center for the Book partially funds events or projects that fulfill its goal of promoting an awareness of books, reading, literacy, authors and Michigan's rich literary heritage. The events must be free and open to the public; the sponsoring organization must be a Michigan-based nonprofit organization, library or school; and the request for funds must be no more than 50 percent of the total budget or no more than $500, whichever is less. Funding for these grants comes exclusively from dues paid by the affiliate members of the Michigan Center for the Book and not from taxpayer dollars.

The Michigan Center for the Book is a program of the Library of Michigan and the center's affiliates. It is also the Michigan affiliate of the National Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. To learn more, visit www.michigan.gov/mcfb.

The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Historical Center. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).