California Humanities and Califa Awarded $249,946 from IMLS to Enhance Library Innovation Lab Program

(August 28, 2024)

California Humanities

The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has announced a grant award of $249,946 to Califa Group, in partnership with California Humanities, for Fostering Empathy with Immigrant Communities to Enhance Library Public Programs and Services (RE-256614-OLS-24), to assist libraries across the country in welcoming new Americans and better meeting the lifelong learning needs of immigrant communities.

Funding from the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program will be used to enhance and scale nationally the Library Innovation Lab program, which has been successfully piloted by California Humanities in California public libraries since 2016. Over the next two years, key activities will include 1) further developing the existing program framework 2) recruiting and field testing the program with a national cohort of libraries in 2025; 3) cultivating a pilot partnership with another State Humanities Council in 2026; and 4) publishing and disseminating a DIY program toolkit to facilitate replication by libraries or library-serving organizations across the country.