The Arlington Public Library has been awarded five competitive grants from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This funding will support workshops and events for a wide range of ages and interests. The Library will be working with local partners, including other area libraries, to extend the reach of these programs as much as possible.

"We're focused on serving Arlington in innovative ways," Director of Libraries Yoko Matsumoto said. "This funding will help us continue to provide creative outreach and strengthen educational partnerships."

The Library received a total of $105,800 in funding from the Impact Grant, Library Cooperation, and Texas Reads grant programs. The grant period began September 1, 2017, and runs until August 31, 2018. Keep an eye on the Library's website and social media for announcements when the following programs are open to the public.

$9,200 grant for Small Business Workshops

The Arlington Public Library will purchase seats in live workshops, presented by expert speakers through the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE), to be held at the Arlington Public Library and our three partner libraries in Mansfield, Kennedale, and Grand Prairie. These small businesses workshops will be free of charge to students and will provide Texans with business skills to enhance their economic and personal goals.

$9,800 grant for Early Childhood Literacy - 1000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Arlington Public Library will implement the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, encouraging preschool children and their parents and caregivers to read together and prepare for success in school. One hundred backpacks with ten books each will be assembled and available for checkout through Arlington Public Library locations. Participants will be able to track their performance with reading logs.

$10,000 grant for E-content and Downloadable Audiobooks

The Arlington Public Library wishes to expand our e-content service to our community. The Arlington Public Library shares a catalog with the Mansfield and Kennedale public libraries and, over the last five years, our libraries consistently offered e-services, adding titles yearly to our e-book and e-audio collections, and recently e-magazines. We noticed a high demand for downloadable audiobooks demonstrated by an above average number of holds and a robust level of circulation for this category. The $10,000 grant will help us meet demand and expand our offerings.

$73,350 grant for Artist in Residence in a Makerspace

The Arlington Public Library System will partner with the University of Texas at Arlington to implement an Artist in Residence program in a Makerspace at the George W Hawkes Downtown Library. The project will provide equipment and bring in artists to expand the cultural and artistic experience of the residents of Arlington, allowing our patrons to enhance their entrepreneurial endeavors through the use of library resources.

$3,500 grant for Libraries Rock! Author Visits

Arlington Public Library's "Libraries Rock! Author Visits" will run in conjunction with our 2018 Summer Reading Club and present a collaboration between the Arlington Public Library, Dottie Lynn Recreation Center, and Elzie Odom Athletic Center. The author visits will be geared toward youth and their families and will feature author readings, discussions, Q-A sessions, and participatory writing workshops. "Libraries Rock! Author Visits" celebrates reading, writing, diversity, community engagement and collaboration.