Funding Supports a Variety of ProgramS
In addition to the Small Business Center described on page one, the Ryerson Library Foundation recently approved grants totaling $92,337 for the following Library programs and services:
- Hispanic Heritage Programming will uphold the mission statement of the GRPL - connecting people to the transforming power of knowledge - by highlighting and celebrating the Hispanic community in the city of Grand Rapids in 2008.
- A grant for African American History programming for 2008, to engage Grand Rapids citizens with the GRPL through celebrations and highlights of African American heritage.
- The purchase of adaptive technology for the visually impaired.
- The creation of the Rain Garden at the main library designed to help keep storm water runoff out of the building, increase public interest get cleaner water into the Grand River.
- A grant to the Library to expand its audio language Pimsleur Course Collection with 45 additional titles.
- Fund to update the Library.s collection of classical literature with new copies, new translations and fill in the gaps where specific titles and authors were lacking.
- Children's Book Week programming, through the Hekman Fund.
- One County, One Book 2008 reading program for kids, designed to encourage Kent County children in grades 4-6 read.
- The Readers Society of Grand Rapids (RSGR) reading program.
- Titche Family Fund for additional work on the Women.s Newspaper Clippings Collection.
- Michigan Women's History Conference.
- A grant from the Foundation to cover expenses for Grand Rapids newspaper microfilm and newspaper clipping collection index, part of the Library.s archival collection.
- The Oral Migration project will create digital usage and digital master files made from 130 existing audio cassette oral history tapes from the Library.s collection.
- Audio Book Fund to expand the library.s audio book collection.
- Stuart Fund mini grant for local history materials.
- Conger Fund grants for local history materials.