Continuing Education:
Staff Development Grants:
As part of the Continuing Education Project, HALS offers Staff Development grants to member
libraries. These grants allow libraries to address a continuing education need particular to their staffs and/or to provide training in an area that is not planned as a workshop topic or needs to be repeated. Libraries and library systems may apply individually or as a group.
(Beginning in SFY02, there is $24,000 budgeted for these grants or approximately eight grants at $3,000 each).
LSTA Project:
Currently, there are four LSTA Project grants available: Basic Literacy, Limited English Speaking (LES), Services to Older Adults and Educationally Disadvantaged. (Total funding in SFY02 for all grant types is $79,500. $25,500 for Literacy/LES, $27,000 for Older Adults and $27,000 for Educationally Disadvantaged.)
Adult Literacy
Basic Literacy:
Basic Literacy grants fund programs to provide instruction in the reading and writing of English for illiterate or semi literate adults. (TSLAC defines adults as 16 years of age or older and no longer enrolled in school.) The emphasis is on developing literacy skills to a level that a student can enter into a GED or an adult continuing education program.
Limited English Speaking:
Limited English Speaking grants provide instruction to adults who are not literate in English and focus on those who do not speak English as their first, or native language. In addition to reading and writing, LES grants also provide instruction in basic pronunciation. Both Literacy and LES grants provide funds for tutor training seminars, student and tutor instructional materials, and other reading and support materials.
Educationally Disadvantaged
The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) is broader in scope regarding services to disadvantaged populations than was the previous federal library funding act, the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA). Under LSTA, HALS funds are available for programs to assist children as well as adults with their literacy efforts. Applicants may request funds to provide services to preschoolers and children of socioeconomically disadvantaged adults, those in need of adult education &/or coping skills and those with developmental disabilities, e.g., learning disabilities. Examples of projects that could be included in the scope of these grants would be reading readiness, family literacy, parent reading programs, high-low programs for YAs and born to read programs.
Services to Older Adults
The objective of the Services to Older Adults grants is to support libraries in their efforts to provide services to older members of their communities. Some older adult programs provide library services to older people in nursing and retirement homes; others offer special library programs that target older patrons. Grants support purchases of multi media Bi Folkal kits, special equipment, large print materials, and other items. Projects should involve older adults in stimulating, interactive programs.
Technology:
Currently, there are three technology grants available: Automate Enhance, Automate Match and Project Recon. (Total funding in SFY02 for all grant types is $80,000. $25,000 for Automate Match, $15,000 for Project Recon & $40,000 for Automate Enhance.)
Automate Enhance: The intent of the Automate Enhance project is twofold 1) to expand the use of the existing HALS PCs placed in member libraries by providing selected peripherals to increase their usefulness and 2) to provide new PCs when an existing one is no longer useful. Libraries may request a desktop or lap top PC. Examples of peripherals available are printers, scanners, fax machines, etc.
Automate Match: The Automate Match project assists with automation of local libraries by providing matching funds to institute a new project or to allow a library to join with an existing automated system. Beginning with the SFY2002 grant year, libraries may apply for funds to upgrade their existing automated system or migrate to a new system. Projects in the past have included purchase of software/equipment, installation of a LAN, etc. HALS can not give a member library the money directly, but must purchase the equipment and/or software, as approved in the grant, through, the Library/City of Houston.
Project Recon: Project Recon originally assisted with the automation of local libraries by matching local funds to outsource a library’s retrospective conversion project. The match is at a ratio of 2 to 1 (HALS provides $2 for each local library $1). The original application is for the initial year of the project. Additional years can be funded through additional grants. Records obtained through this grant must be used in an automation system within the next two fiscal years. For example, if a library received a grant awarded for SFY01, they would have from September 1, 2000 - August 31, 2002 to have the records loaded and in use in an automated circulation system/PAC.
Houston Area Library System
