Questions? Contact:

 

About the LORI Grant Program

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museums and Library Services

LORI Grants are offered by the Office of Library and Information Services as subgrants funded through its federal Institute of Museum and Library Services grant under the Grants to States Program supported by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The IMLS vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook.

2020 Library of Rhode Island Learning Grant Awards

OLIS awarded 9 LORI Learning Grants through the 2020 LORI Learning Grant Program; the total amount of the grants is over $14,000.00. LORI Grants are supported through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and funded through the IMLS Grants to States program under the Library Services and Technology Act. The LORI Learning Grant projects take place from June 1, 2020 through August 31, 2020.

Summer Learning Grants

Ashaway Free Library and Langworthy Public Library

Located in: Town of Hopkinton

Project Title: Creature Connections: Explore Rhode Island Wildlife and Nature at Your Library

Grant Award: $2,300.00

Contact: Nomi Hague, Director; Heather Field, Director



The libraries of Hopkinton created a joint project to offer a series of nature-based programs for elementary school-aged children. In programs taught by educators from naturalist organizations children will handle live animals, learn about animal habitats, life cycles, and anatomy, and engage in various sensory-based and immersive hands-on activities. Children will increase their understanding of their relationships with wildlife and build their life sciences knowledge base.

East Providence Public Library

Located in: City of East Providence

Project Title: Brain Builders: Inspiring Kids to Think Like Engineers

Grant Award: $1,363.00

Contact: Pam Schwieger , Youth Services Coordinator



The library will engage elementary school-aged children in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) learning by providing circulating "build it" kits and in-library programming to inspire children to think of themselves as creators, makers, tinkerers, and engineers. Beginning with a launch program to introduce the project and the kits and concluding with a hands-on workshop based on physics and engineering concepts, the library will encourage hands-on exploration, creativity, and building skills.

Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library

Located in: Town of Burrillville

Project Title: Summer Mobile Tech Lab

Grant Award: $1,825.00

Contact: Jennifer-Lee Gasrow , Head Children's Librarian

The Summer Mobile Tech Lab will offer programming to increase and maintain science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills for youth in grades 4-12. New technologies will be introduced at weekly labs where youth will learn to use various engineering tools and technologies, apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and gain new STEM skills.

Pascoag Public Library

Located in: Town of Burrillville

Project Title: Raising Readers

Grant Award: $1,100.00

Contact: Patrick J. Tierney, Youth Services Librarian



The Raising Readers program will focus on increasing reading fluency and enjoyment for children in pre-kindergarten through second grade. Using a "book buddies" system children will be paired with teen volunteers in grades 11 or 12 who will read with the children. The program will support the development of reading skills for children by modeling stories, providing access to high-interest materials, providing choice in reading materials and encouraging reading for pleasure. The teens will learn interpersonal skills and basic teaching and modeling techniques. Two storytelling programs will aid in building reading skills by providing the children with the opportunity to practice deep listening and experience important elements of narratives such as story structure, characterization, and setting.

North Smithfield Public Library

Located in: Town of North Smithfield

Project Title: Greening the North Smithfield Public Library

Grant Award: $1,892.00

Contact: Renee Bichan, Youth Services Librarian



Families with children ages two to twelve will explore the natural world through hands-on learning, observation, and passive and structured programming. Families will identify existing plants and trees, create a garden, and participate in habitat focused programs such as “Soil Stories” and “Wriggling Worms” to learn about the natural world and raise awareness of environmental literacy. Educators will lead families through activities related to the garden's maintenance and insect inhabitants, and the garden will serve as a backdrop for thematic summer programming.

Connected Learning Grants

South Kingstown Public Library

Located in: Town of South Kingstown

Project Title: Exploring the Arts: Workshops for Teens

Grant Award: $1,800.00

Contact: Brandi Fong, Youth Services Librarian



The South Kingstown Library will engage art instructors to teach workshops for teens in painting, pottery, and mixed media collage and share their experiences in developing careers in the arts. Teens will have additional opportunities to practice their art skills, independently explore additional mediums, and share what they've learned during open-studio sessions. Teen artwork will be shown to a wider audience through the library's Facebook and Instagram accounts and library displays.

West Warwick Public Library

Located in: City of West Warwick

Project Title: Summer Writing Camp

Grant Award: $2,000.00

Contact: Rashaa Al-Sasah, Head of Teen Services



In the Summer Writing Camp a group of teens aged thirteen years and older will develop professional writing skills through peer critique and instruction from authors and other publishing professionals and publish an anthology of their writings. Teens will participate in lectures and activities about different aspects of writing and the publication processes; in Iowa Writers' Workshop style sessions; in dedicated writing times; in peer critique; and in a three-stage editing process that will culminate in their project’s publication in an anthology. The anthology will be made available in physical and free digital formats in Rhode Island libraries.

Woonsocket Harris Public Library

Located in: City of Woonsocket

Project Title: Robotics Summer Camp

Grant Award: $2,000.00

Contact: Margaret McNulty, Assistant Director



The Robotics Summer Camp will offer science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) based enrichment opportunities to engage youth ages eleven to seventeen in 21st century engineering and coding technology. Through creative and critical thinking, collaboration, and communication youth will gain new competencies in digital literacy. Youth will design, build, code and test run robots capable of competing in field games against other robots built during the camp. Art competencies will be incorporated as youth design logos to use on badges, banners and antenna flags and by discussing a film that demonstrates using STEAM in real-world creation and innovation.