The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Donation Grant was created to help build collections and bring books into the lives of children in latchkey, preschool programs, faith-based reading projects, homeless shelters, charter schools and underfunded libraries. An enduring message of the Committee’s Public Awareness Campaign is that books and reading can only add value to children’s lives if books are present with opportunities to read. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee believes children lives must be saturated with books and reading opportunities. The Book Donation Grant addresses these objectives.

Though the grant is particularly interested in giving books to nontraditional institutions that provide both educational and custodial services to children and their families, under-funded libraries are welcome to apply.

Applications must be received by January 31, 2013.

For additional information, including background, criteria, guidelines, and application instructions, visit, www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards/bookgrant.