Nicolette Baffoni
Nicolette Baffoni
Library Program Manager - Library Development/LSTA
About the LORI Grant Program
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.
2024 LORI Mini-Grant Awards
OLIS awarded six Library of Rhode Island (LORI) Mini-Grants totaling $34,020 to RI libraries through the 2024 LORI Mini-Grant Program. LORI Grants are funded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services' Grants to States program under the Library Services and Technology Act. The 2024 LORI LSTA sub-grants are for the period of February 2024 through September 2024. Learn more about the program at the 2024 LORI Mini-Grant Notice of Funding.
Visit LORI 2024 Project Grants to view the current project grant awards.
Cranston Public Library
Located in: City of Cranston
Website: Cranston Public Library
Project Title: Memory Care Kits
Grant Award: $6,000.00
Project Director: Julie Holden, Assistant Library Director
The Cranston Public Library will partner with the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center and the Dementia Training for Life to create “Memory Care Kits” to circulate at the Central Library and the Arlington branch for individuals with dementia.
George Hail Free Library
Located in: Town of Warren
Website: George Hail Free Library
Project Title: Wonderbook Wonders: Enhancing Youth Literacy through Wonderbooks
Grant Award: $4,316.09
Project Director: Michaela Hutchinson, Youth Services Librarian
The "Wonderbook Wonders" project at George Hail Free Library will address the needs of young patrons in grades K-5 who struggle with reading or focusing on books. The library will acquire 75 Wonderbooks for the Youth Services collection, fostering increased accessibility and engagement among the target audience. The library will promote this new collection by hosting a Read and Bead Challenge for children in grades K-5 with the aim of increasing circulation in the Youth Services department.
Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library
Located in: Town of Burrillville
Website: Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library
Project Title: Adult Literacy/Life Skills Collection Development
Grant Award: $5,000.00
Project Director: Jennifer Foster, Assistant Director
The Jesse Smith Library will address the growing demand for adult literacy and life skills resources by developing a comprehensive collection tailored to the needs of struggling readers and auditory learners. The library will acquire high-interest, low-reading-level books, as well as materials focused on basic life skills, and Playaways to enhance accessibility for individuals of varying reading levels and learning abilities and promote the collection through a variety of programming.
Park View Middle School Library
Located in: City of Cranston
Website: Park View Middle School Library
Project Title: Walk a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes
Grant Award: $7,500.00
Project Director: Stephanie Mills, School Library Media Specialist
The Park View Middle School Library will refresh its biography collection to supply students with new biographies in support of research projects aligned with the new English Language Arts, civics and social studies curriculum. By providing diverse and engaging biographies, the library aims to increase student engagement in the curriculum, as well as reading for pleasure, expand opportunities for students at different reading levels to achieve success, and generate student interest in learning about people different from themselves.
Providence Public Library
Located in: City of Providence
Website: Providence Public Library
Project Title: Spanish Books on CD
Grant Award: $3,500.00
Project Director: Ann Poulos, Senior Information Services Librarian
Providence Public Library will expand its books on CD collection to benefit its ESOL patrons and students. A number of studies have shown reading and listening simultaneously is an effective strategy for language learning, and it has been demonstrated that listening to audiobooks helps improve students' literacy, fluency, and pronunciation. The library will pair audiobooks and the physical books to make it easy for the students to select those materials to supplement their learning, and will work with the ESOL teachers to promote the new collection.
Warwick Public Library
Located in: City of Warwick
Website: Warwick Public Library
Project Title: Veterans Social for Care and Connection
Grant Award: $3,779.58
Project Director:
The Warwick Public Library will expand its existing Veterans Coffee Social, which brings together local veterans, veterans organizations, and library resources to provide access to information, as well as the opportunity to share personal stories, and to offer veterans community and support. The library will increase the Socials to monthly, and will add a focus on different mental health and wellness topics including meditation, cooking, art, genealogy, self-care, and photography.