Libri Foundation Grants for Children's Books

Deadlines: Annually, January 23rd and April 15th. (Note new dates for 2011)

The Libri Foundation is a nationwide non-profit organization which donates new, quality, hardcover children's books to small, rural public libraries in the United States through its BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program. The Foundation awards grants twice a year.

Libraries are qualified on an individual basis. In general, county libraries should serve a population under 16,000 and town libraries should serve a population under 10,000 (usually under 5,000). Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. Applications are accepted from independent libraries as well as libraries which are part of a county, regional, or cooperative library system. A library system may also apply if all the libraries in the system meet these requirements.

The librarian of each library participating in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program selects the books her library will receive from a booklist provided by the Foundation. The 700-plus fiction and nonfiction titles on the booklist have been judged as outstanding or highly recommended by recognized authorities in the library and education fields and have been published in the last 3 years. The application guidelines and forms contain details on eligibility for grants and the procedures.The Foundation will match any amount of money raised by your local sponsors from $50 to $350 on a 2-to-1 ratio. Thus, your library could receive up to $1,050 worth of new children's books (about 70 books). Local sponsors have five months (or longer, if necessary) after their library has been selected as a participant in the BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program to raise the matching funds.