Library Grants and Projects


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Library Grants and Projects

Grants from various agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Illinois State Library, American Library Association, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, SLA, and National Library of Medicine (Greater Midwest Region) with a total amount of $519,693 as of August 2023.


Grants From the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

Name Date Period Major Tasks
FY2023 National Leadership Grants for Libraries, "Libraries as Partners for Emergency Preparedness and Response in Times of Crisis" $150,000 (This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [LG-254819-OLS-23])
Project Website: https://imlsgrant.web.illinois.edu/

News: IFSI Library Receives IMLS Grant
By: Heather Murphy, University Library
Link: https://www.library.illinois.edu/news/ifsi-library-receives-imls-grant/

News: iSchool researchers involved in new IMLS projects
By: UIUC School of Information Sciences
Link: https://ischool.illinois.edu/news-events/news/2023/09/ischool-researchers-involved-new-imls-projects

 July 2023 August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2025
  • Major project activities are divided between Year One and Year Two. Year One implements a case study survey of the multi-type libraries of Illinois to gain an initial understanding of themes in library-community partnerships during crises. Year Two focuses on two Community Engagement Roundtables to discuss common survey themes and raise the findings and conversation to the national level. Results include:
  1. Completion of preliminary investigation into partnerships between multi-type libraries and community response partners during crises.
  2. Identification of the types of emergencies that libraries have responded to in the past, are currently responding to, or have created plans to respond to.
  3. Clarification of the scope and extent of library-community partnership during emergencies.
  4. Description of the past, current, and future role that libraries play in partnerships with community partners during emergencies, and suggestions for the future role of libraries in partnership during emergencies.
FY2022 American Rescue Plan Grant, " Experienced-Based Knowledge Management Initiatives to Support Illinois Firefighters' Dynamic Needs in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic " $50,000 (This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [ARPML-250797-OMLS-22]) 10/2021 11/2021 - 10/2022

Grants From the American Library Association (ALA)

Name Date Period Major Tasks
FY2022 American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries, “Children Fire Safety Literacy Reading and Discussion Program� $10,000 (American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021)

News: A Library for Firefighters: Teaching Fire Literacy Through Reading and Discussion
By Hannah Arata, ALA Public Programs Office
Link: https://programminglibrarian.org/articles/library-firefighters-teaching-fire-literacy-through-reading-and-discussion

Article: Leading the Way in Fire Literacy
By: Kelda Habing, IFSI Library
Link: https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/2423
 January 2022 March 1, 2022 - August 31, 2022
  1. Enhance the IFSI Library’s humanities efforts on children’s fire safety literacy;
  2. Support firefighters’ dynamic needs on fire safety education;
  3. Strengthen the tie between firefighters and local communities;
  4. Increase the awareness of fire safety among children with diverse populations;
  5. Provide safer communities for Illinois, especially for children;
  6. Make the collection funded by this grant available to the general public and promote the program widely using social media and other platforms hosted by the fire service.
2013 ALA Annual Diversity Research Program Award, "The Role of Chinese American Librarians in Library and Information Science Diversity," $2,500 June 2013 July 15, 2013 -July 15, 2014
  • Collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative data gathered from selected young and senior Chinese American librarians who have been involved with diversity initiatives
  • Gather information using a web-based survey and semi-structured interviews
  • Investigate the role of Chinese American librarians in Library and Information Science (LIS) diversity efforts in the 21st century and to assess the effectiveness of their contribution to diversity
  • Address critical diversity issues within LIS and recommend strategies on how to recruit and promote Chinese American librarians within the profession
  • Identify and document stories of best practices and lessons learned which will be the basis of toolkits to be provided to Chinese American librarians serving diverse users in their communities
  • Provide much needed evidence to Chinese American librarians and other library and information professionals to help fill the gap in diversity research and carry out ongoing diversity initiatives

Grants from the Office of Secretary of State and Illinois State Library

Name Date Period Major Tasks
FY2014 Illinois State Library, "Another Opportunity for Back 2 Books: Fire Safety Public Education on DVDs" $4,941 March 2014 April 1-September 30, 2014
  • Purchase DVD library materials focusing on fire safety public education
  • Be useful for fire safety public education programs for elementary school students, college students, and senior citizens.
  • Support the local fire departments' fire safety public education programs
FY2013 Illinois State Library "Back to Books: Firefighting Training on DVDs," $4,988 May 2013 May 1-September 30, 2013
  • Purchase DVD library materials focusing on firefighting skills training
  • Promote the collection at the IFSI Library OPAC and website
  • Promote the collection specifically to over one thousand firefighter students in the IFSI Firefighting Program and firefighter students in the IFSI Certified Firefighter II Academy (Basic Firefighter/NFPA Firefighter I Academy) in the fall and spring semesters
  • Promote the collection at the IFSI's annual Fire College and display the materials to showcase them to more than 697 firefighter participants
FY 2008 LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act), Grant, "Illinois Online Disaster Preparedness Pathfinder". $4,000 Oct. 2007 Oct. 2007 - June. 2008
  • Organize relevant multi-media resources that contribute to Illinois citizens’ disaster preparedness, targeting multi-type and multi-age audiences at home, school and community.
  • Increase general public awareness of disaster preparedness, thereby electronic pathfinder supplying access to invaluable informational resources concerning disaster hazards.
  • Provide vital and comprehensive source on individual, family, and community preparedness to help the citizens of Illinois meet challenges ahead in a disaster.
  • Maintain and develop partnerships with fire departments, fire organizations, and public and school libraries throughout Illinois.
FY 2007 LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act) Grant, "Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Death Database" $20,500 Oct. 2006 Oct. 2006 - June. 2007

Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Death Database

  • Collect, organize, digitize, preserve, and provide access to historical and cultural materials that document the ultimate sacrifice of more than 700 Illinois firefighters over the past 150 years.
  • Partner with fire organizations, historical societies, fire museums, and libraries to digitize photographs, newspapers, fire station logbooks, and other resources that detail these tragedies for inclusion in an online database.
  • Providing access to this history will memorialize the firefighters, increase awareness of their sacrifice, and supply contemporary firefighters with valuable "lessons learned" from the various deaths.
  • Enhance the educational endeavors of firefighters and could help prevent future tragedies. Furthermore, the project will strengthen partnerships the IFSI Library has already established with fire departments, fire organizations, and public libraries throughout Illinois.
  • Help build relationships with historical societies and fire museums.
FY 2006 LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act) Grant, "Creative Use of Libraries(CUOL Grant) - Deliver The Right Information to Illinois Firefighters at The Right Time" . $81,626 Oct. 2005 Oct. 2005 - June. 2006
  • Employ innovative technology to create a new library service - “The Digital Illinois Fire Departments Training Network Database” (Network Database) to address firefighters’ local training needs.
  • Train 25 or more selected fire departments to maintain a digitalized record of their training calendars and activities and will provide access to this digital information.
  • Help respond to firefighters' information needs in a timely manner by providing pertinent information resources via the grant partners, their local public libraries.
  • Help improve the training of firefighters’ by providing “at the right time” access and usage of fire emergency information resources
  • Strengthen partnerships the IFSI Library already has established between fire departments and local public libraries.
FY 2002 LSTA (Library Service & Technology Act) Grant, "Grow with Pro!". $4,900 Oct. 2001 Oct. 2001 - May. 2002
  • Hiring a local architect to do conceptual drawings for the new IFSI Library Building
FY 2001 LSTA Libraries in the 21st Century – Developing the Distance Learning Library Services for Illinois Firefighters: an Integrated Information Service with Online Firefighter II Certification Program. $49,570 Dec. 5, 2000 Dec. 2000-June 2001
  • Online Firefighter II site
  • Collaboration and partnership with 14 libraries
  • Online training videotape
  • Full text and nonprint reference materials delivery through Internet
  • First in the nation in its kind International attention from Britain and Australia
  • FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus. Build some basic structure of IFSI Thesurus.
FY 2001 LSTA Collection Connection Grant. $2,500 Dec. 5, 2000 Dec. - June 2001
  • 33+ reference books in Health (Emergency Medical Services) and Fire Science (science) areas.
FY 2000 LSTA Full Year Grant - Internet Outreach to and Training of Illinois Fire Service Personnel, Public and Community College Librarians for Electronic Access to Fire Safety Information.$75,000 Jan. 14, 2000 Jan. -Sept. 2000
  • Comprehensive Library Web Home Page
  • 79 workshops; 10 demos in 64 cities covering 201 sites
  • 148 fire departments, 36 libraries and 21 organizations in the workshops and/or demos
  • ILL requests through 149 public libraries
  • 1,669 reference requests , 5 times more than 300 requests in FY 99
  • Research, OPAC training manual, equipment used beyond the project year
  • "FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus" started.
FY 2000 LSTA Equipment to Books Grant. $2,000 May 1, 2000 May-June 2000
  • 4 expensive reference materials, including online National Fire Codes, 2 tapes on fire safety and Essentials of Fire Fighting Curriculum with Transparencies
FY 2000 LSTA Marketing Grant.$1,000 March 17, 2000 March-June 2000
  • FSI Library brochure to 666 public libraries and 1,327 fire departments
FY 2000 Educate & Automate, Fast Start-Basic Equipment.$1,065 Feb. 10, 2000 Feb. – June 2000
  • Plain paper fax machine, color ink jet printer, zip driver, scanner
FY 2000 Educate & Automate, Public Internet Access.$1,820 Feb. 9, 2000 Feb-June 2000
  • Ramjet Workline 500 NIC System, Laserjet printer
FY 1999 LSTA Bring in an Expert Grant.$4,500 June 1, 1999 June-Sept. 1999
  • Subject access evaluation
  • Research projects and an idea of "FireTalk, IFSI Thesaurus" was born.

Awards from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Name Date Period Major Tasks
2007 Freeman Fellow Partner Initiatives Award, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, $13,000 8/2007 8/2008
  • To develop a graduate course at GSLIS on China
2004 Campus Research Board UIUC, $8,131 9/2003 1/2003 - 9/2004
  • A Survey to Support "Evidence-Based Practice" in Special Libraries Serving Fire Service Personnel and Researchers in Public Safety and Homeland Security Areas
2003 Campus Research Board UIUC, $9,252 2/2002 1/2003 - 8/2003

Grants From Special Libraries Association

Name Date Period Major Tasks
2004 Special Libraries Association, $20,000
Co-Research Director, Professor Linda C. Smith		 6/2003 8/2003 - 12/2004
  • A Survey to Support "Evidence-Based Practice" in Special Libraries Serving Fire Service Personnel and Researchers in Public Safety and Homeland Security Areas

Grants From the National Library of Medicine/Greater Midwest Region

Name Date Period Major Tasks
FY 2004 GMR Outreach Project Award. $6,000 05/2004 05/2004-04/2005
  • Outreach program for emergency medical techicians in 5 selected fire departments.
FY 2002 GMR Professional Development Award. $1,700 10/2002 11/2002-2003
  • To develop an action plan for a new outreach library service for Paramedics in Illinois Fire Departments.

Grants from the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)

Name Date Period Major Tasks
Chinese American Librarians in the 21st Century $700. This project is also partially funded by the Illinois Fire Service Institute
Co-Research Director, Anna Xiong 		6/2005 6/2005 - 6/2006
  • Survey Chinese American librarians, who are members of Chinese American Librarians Association.

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