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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.

ARPA Project Grant Awards

[November 15, 2021] OLIS awarded 6 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded grants totaling $242,060 to RI libraries through the 2022 ARPA Competitive Project Grant Program. The Office of Library and Information Services is using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds (Public Law 117-2, Section 2023) to help libraries expand digital access, support learning, and strengthen library services in their communities to aid recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The ARPA Project Grants are for the period from November 1, 2021 through August 2022. To learn more about eligibility requirements and the application process, visit the ARPA Project Grants page. 

Grants

Exeter-West Greenwich Jr/Sr High School Library

Located in: Town of Exeter

Website: Exeter-West Greenwich Jr/Sr High Media Center

Project Title: Career & College Readiness Electric Car Project

Grant Award: $20,805

Project Director: Bevin Winner, Library Media Specialist

The Exeter-West Greenwich Junior/Senior High School Library will partner with the Chariho Regional High School Library to compete in the Greenpower Electric Car Challenge, a hands-on STEM project that encourages students to explore aspects of design and teamwork. Opportunities for hands-on, in-person colalborative learning have been limited during the pandemic and this project will give over 30 students the opportunity to connect with peers, library staff, career and technical faculty, and a mentor from the RI Computer Museum to build and customize a formula-24 car kit as a real-world exploration of STEM careers.

Providence Community Library

Located in: City of Providence

Website: Providence Community Library

Project Title: Conectando!

Grant Award: $50,000

Project Director: Cheryl Space, Library Director

Providence Community Library will continue to increase its relevance to neighbors in five city neighborhoods where more than 40% of residents speak Spanish, and where the effects of the pandemic were felt the hardest. PCL will use information derived from focus groups and a programming consultant to grow meaningful experiences for Spanish speakers within library spaces, mirroring the depth of programming and outreach currently offered to English speakers. Opportunities will include commercial and recreational artistic workshops, street-level marketing, and artistic residencies that build cultural and linguistic diversity in library programming and more inclusive neighborhood gathering spaces, while supporting local Spanish-speaking artists and entrepreneurs.

Providence Public Library

Located in: City of Providence

Website: Providence Public Library

Project Title: PPL Community Sound Studio and Programming

Grant Award: $24,500

Project Director: Christopher Bourret, Head of Information Services

The PPL Community Sound Studio project will create a sound recording studio for Providence youth, making emerging technologies accessible, and lowering barriers to musical experimentation. This educational recording studio provides opportunities for underserved Providence and Providence-area children to participate in music instruction, which was limited in schools during the pandemic and which is frequently cost prohibitive and inaccessible to low-income families. Program partners will provide guidance and installation of recording studio equipment, as well as instructional activities and classes for youth to learn an instrument, compose and record songs, and share music with the community.

Warwick Public Library

Located in: City of Warwick

Website: Warwick Public Library

Project Title: Warwick Mobile Library

Grant Award: $49,850

Project Director: Jana L. Stevenson, Library Director

The Warwick Public Library will purchase a small cargo van and supplies that will enable the library, in partnership with Westbay Community Action, to bring services to the underserved communities of Warwick. The library and Westbay Community Action will visit locations throughout the community to provide access to free WiFi, computers, and instruction for accessing much-needed services and job training. Meal kit programs will promote healthy meal planning and encourage the use of the Westbay Marketplace food pantry. The Mobile Library will promote family literacy skills and increase participation in the summer learning challenge, all while nurturing a sense of community and neighborly relationships.

West Warwick Public Library

Located in: City of West Warwick

Website: West Warwick Public Library

Project Title: Community Care & Connections

Grant Award: $49,405

Project Director: Rashaa Al-Sasah, Head of Youth Services

West Warwick Public Library will pilot a new program in partnership with the West Warwick Health Equity Zone, Thrive Behavioral Health, and Westbay Community Action aimed at providing mental health and social services resources as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Case workers and social workers from partner organizations will hold “office hours" and run workshops at the library to assist patrons with mental health or social services needs, including applying for housing, WIC, SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicare/Medicaid, and more. The library will serve as a new site for the Westbay farmers market. The library will also develop a circulating collection of mental health and wellness tools and resources to suppport the services and programs being offered.

Woonsocket Harris Public Library

Located in: City of Woonsocket

Website: Woonsocket Harris Public Library

Project Title: Cuisine a la Carte

Grant Award: $22,000

Project Director: Margaret McNulty, Assistant Director

The Woonsocket Harris Public Library will purchase a Charlie Cart mobile kitchen, which comes equipped with cooking tools and a grades K-5 curriculum, programming supplies, and supporting collection materials as a means to address Woonsocket’s food access challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The library will offer cooking and nutrition programs for children, engaging the Beacon Charter High School for the Arts to provide volunteer opportunities for culinary students to assist with library programming. The library will work with University of RI SNAP-Ed program to over complimentary nutritional education programming. The kitchen cart will be an effective tool to empower children and teach them about cooking and nutrition, and will also allow the library to provide cooking programs for all ages.