Libraries Receive Grant Funding for Author Series

The John P. and Lawrence J. Giacoletto Foundation has awarded a grant to local libraries in order to fund a visiting author series.  Participating libraries are Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, and Fairfax.  The award will provide $35,000 a year for three years to bring nine highly regarded writers to the metro area.

The four libraries have a history of successful collaborations.  The Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha Public Libraries together form the Metro Library Network and offer many shared services.  A recent library survey of residents of these three communities and Fairfax indicated that books remain the most popular items provided by the libraries, and community excitement about reading is high.  The survey also showed strong interest in further collaboration among the libraries and the planned author series will be another step in that direction. 

Jeaneal Weeks, director of the Hiawatha Public Library, says “We keep hearing more and more about finding ways to collaborate to be more efficient.  I think we are a shining example of how municipal governments can cooperate to provide better service.”

Using funding from the Giacoletto Foundation grant award, three author visits will be hosted each year during the three-year program.  Authors will be selected to appeal to a wide variety of readers and will include writers of both children’s and adults’ books. Prior to all author visits, the area libraries will provide and promote the book(s) by that author and host discussion sessions about the books.

“Libraries are about reading and literacy” says Susan Kling, Marion Public Library Director.  “This project encourages and stresses the importance of reading and literacy in our community.”

The author events will take place in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  No decisions on the featured authors have yet been made, but the library directors are confident that final selections will generate community-wide excitement.

“We want to share the excitement of having nationally known authors in our own community,” says Lori Barkema, Director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library.  “This program will give readers an opportunity to dialog with important contemporary writers, and it is a thrilling way to encourage reading among community residents.  We are deeply grateful to the John P. Giacoletto Foundation for supporting this valuable project.”

(Photo:  From left, Jeaneal Weeks, Lori Barkema and Susan Kling)