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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.

2026 LORI Mini-Grant Awards

OLIS awarded nine Library of Rhode Island (LORI) Mini-Grants totaling $55,983.60 to RI libraries through the 2026 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 2026 LORI LSTA sub-grants are for the period of April through September 2026. Learn more about the program at the 2026 LORI Mini-Grant Notice of Funding. 

Visit LORI 2026 Project Grants to view the current Project Grant awards.

Community Libraries of Providence

Located in: Providence
Website: Community Libraries of Providence
Project Title: AI for Connected Libraries Staff
Grant Award: $7078.40
Project Director: Cheryl Space, Director

Community Libraries of Providence (CLPVD) will provide tuition for six CLPVD library staff and five Providence Public School librarians to take the online AI-Ready School Library certification course from Library Journal and meet as a learning cohort to design a customized implementation plan for each school and community library utilizing newly explored AI professional and teaching tools.

Cumberland High School Library

Located in: Cumberland
Website: Cumberland High School Library
Project Title: Charting a Course for Independent Reading
Grant Award: $4,000.00
Project Director: Kelly Tarr, Librarian

The Cumberland High School Library will develop “Charting a Course for Independent Reading” for incoming freshman, which will focus on empowering students to become independent readers. Supported by the purchase of new reading materials, signage and display materials, the program will include explicit instruction on how and when students can access the library during the school day, and how to locate and select independent reading titles, a crucial skill for students who did not have access to a school library in middle school.

Douglas and Judith Krupp Library (Bryant University)

Located in: Smithfield
Website: Douglas and Judith Krupp Library
Project Title: Rhode Island Women's History Digitization Project
Grant Award: $7,450.00 
Project Director: Rebecca Marcus, Digital Services and Research Librarian

The Douglas and Judith Krupp Library will digitize its collection of Women's Summit VHS and DVD's and Women's Status in America (WSA) symposium magnetic audio tapes, photographs, and documents to make these resources available to the public online via the Bryant Institutional Repository. Digitizing these materials will help preserve them long term and make retrieval easier for the Bryant University community and the public.

Exeter Public Library

Located in: Exeter
Website: Exeter Public Library
Project Title: Growing GRINS
Grant Award: $5,849.40
Project Director: Tien Tran, Director 

Grow RI Native Seeds (GRINS) is a collaborative network providing free access to native seeds and related programming and information through 14 public libraries in Rhode Island. This project represents the next phase of GRINS, focused on strengthening and the program by expanding participation to additional libraries and developing a structured Seed Ambassador training program for library staff.

Middletown Public Library

Located in: Middletown
Website: Middletown Public Library
Project Title: Foreign Language & Video Game Collection
Grant Award: $7,500.00
Project Director: Sue Connors, Assistant Director 

The Middletown Public Library will expand its collection and programming by introducing new foreign language books and a circulating video game collection. The library will purchase books in Spanish and Portuguese to address a current gap in its holdings and establish the library’s first circulating video game collection. Together, these collections will strengthen access to learning and recreation resources within the community.

North Kingstown Free Library

Located in: North Kingstown
Website: North Kingstown Free Library
Project Title: Mobile Outreach & Engagement Kit
Grant Award: $6,549.00
Project Director: Megan Weeden, Director

The North Kingstown Free Library will develop a Mobile Outreach & Engagement Kit to deliver library services beyond the library building. Through pop‑up outreach at community events and partner sites, library staff will bring books and other library materials into the community, issue library cards, provide basic technology help, and connect residents with library resources.

Providence Public Library

Located in: Providence
Website: Providence Public Library
Project Title: Expanding Bilingual Capacity for All
Grant Award: $7,499.80
Project Director: Beatrice Pulliam, Deputy Library Director

Providence Public Library (PPL) will launch Expanding Bilingual Capacity for All, an effort to help PPL better serve the Rhode Island Spanish speaking community. This project is composed of two initiatives: expanded instruction for students in PPL’s existing English for Teens summer program and new Spanish language classes for front-facing PPL staff. These efforts will equip PPL to serve Spanish-speaking Rhode Islanders of all ages in a more comprehensive way.

Rogers Free Library 

Located in: Bristol
Website: Rogers Free Library
Project Title: Memory Cafes at Rogers Free Library
Grant Award: $2,707.00
Project Director: Peyton Warnock, Adult Programming and Outreach Coordinator

The Rogers Free Library will implement a monthly "Memory Cafe" to support patrons living with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and other memory-related challenges, along with their caregivers or family members. Through this initiative, the library will work toward its goal to be an active, responsive, and welcoming community hub.

West Warwick Public Library

Located in: West Warwick
Website: West Warwick Public Library
Project Title: Community RPG Adventure Anthology
Grant Award: $7,350.00
Project Director: Amber Bliss, Head of Adult Services

The West Warwick Public Library (WWPL) will host a series of educational modules on the craft of tabletop roleplaying games (RPG) game and adventure design, publishing, and game mastering. Participants will design and write original adventures which will run at WWPL as public programs for the community. The project will culminate in the publication of the anthology of adventures by the West Warwick Public Library Press.