**IMPROVING LITERACY THROUGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES (LSL)**

**Abstracts -- Funded Grant Applications by State**

**[Alaska\
]{.underline}**

\# S364A080262

Klawock City Schools

Box 9

Klawock, AK 99925

Richard Carlson

\(907\) 755-2320

Recommended Grant: \$87,600

Klawock, on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island off the coast of
Ketchikan, Alaska, is a rural school district. The village has one
campus, Klawock City School, divided into an elementary and secondary
school, with 166 students in grades preK-12. Exposure to the outside
world is limited by resources available at the school or public library
or through staff that come from outside the island. A selection of books
will be purchased, including Newberry, Caldecott, Young Readers' Choice
award winners, and books at diverse reading levels so students have
access to a wide variety of motivating, quality reading materials.

**[Arkansas]{.underline}**

\# S364A080108

Augusta School District

320 Sycamore Street

Augusta, AR 72006

Sandi Jones

\(870\) 347-2515

Recommended Grant: \$ 200,440

The *Gateway to the Future* Project will provide improved resources for
the 220 grade 9-12 students at Augusta High School in rural Augusta,
Arkansas. The project will increase student achievement and literacy by
improving the Library Media Center (LMC) collection of print and
non-print materials and by increasing access to the LMC. It will create
a technologically advanced LMC, facilitating resource-sharing networks
and providing access to online information-seeking resources. The
project's objectives include: increasing collaboration between the
classroom and the library by providing high-quality, accurate materials
across a wide variety of subjects to support student research;, aligning
the collection of print and non-print materials with district curriculum
and state standards; increasing voluntary reading and circulation of
materials by providing high-quality fiction that excites interest in
students; and creating technologically literate students with high
information and reading skills. The project will also provide tools for
creating class projects and the means for conducting research through
multiple channels: it will assist different types of learners by
creating a multisensory learning environment through the use of
technologies scientifically proven to enhance instruction.

**[Arizona]{.underline}**

\# S364A080150

Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections

1624 W. Adams

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Dr. Richard J. Sagar

\(602\) 364-3956

Recommended Grant: \$ 397,068

The Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections proposes to implement "A
Brighter Future through Literacy**,"** to improve the literacy levels of
600 students (average enrollment) at four high schools, located in urban
cities of Phoenix, Tucson, and Buckeye, in preparation for their return
to the community and a brighter future. Upon entry to the juvenile
system and our schools, only 19 percent of students are reading at grade
level, and many are functionally illiterate. Library Media Centers (LMC)
newly established this school year at all four schools and staffed with
part-time Library Media Specialists (LMS) have been positively received
and utilized but are limited in their capacity to provide the literacy
support needed due to insufficient library collections, outdated
technology, and shared staffing. The program will increase each school's
library collection, and add six high capacity computers per LMC to
enable youth to learn new skills, use LMC resources to support core
curriculum studies, and to develop and utilize research skills to
complete projects.

**[California]{.underline}**

\# S364A080327

Bakersfield City School District

1300 Baker Street

Bakersfield, CA 93305

Sandra Yoon

\(661\) 631-4808

Recommended Grant: \$211,808

Project SLATE (School Libraries Advance Technology Everyday) will serve
10 of the 42

Bakersfield City School District (BCSD) schools, grades K-8 located in
the Central San Joaquin Valley with 7,400 students. The district is
considered urban but serves a high number of migrant students from rural
areas. Project SLATE goals are to increase student reading skills in
grades K-3 and place the library in the center of reading and technology
initiatives. Objectives under this program include updating each library
with 505 new fiction and non-fiction titles for all 10 sites; providing
a technologically advanced library media center with use of the current
database Grolier Online with several levels of encyclopedias and remote
access from home; and expanding hours at each site. Project SLATE will
also provide two certified, well-trained library media specialists to
support the network of elementary library media staff through training
and modeling and professional development.

\# S364A080319

Environmental Charter High School

16315 Grevillea Avenue

Lawndale, CA 90260

Alison Suffet Diaz

\(310\) 214-3400

Recommended Grant: \$229,675

Environmental Charter High School (ECHS) is a direct-funded independent
charter

school in California. ECHS serves 408 students in grades 9 through 12,
all located in urban Los Angeles County, California. The Library Project
will help create the first school library for ECHS by providing a
current collection of books, periodicals, and other resources, including
updated technology and access to qualified library personnel during and
outside the school day and year. The overall goal of the project is to
increase student literacy. The Library Project will use research-proven
strategies to engage participants including reading groups/book clubs, a
senior research thesis requirement, interdisciplinary collaboration,
collaboration with the Library Media Specialist, and a Literary Club and
Magazine.

\# S364A080166

Kings Canyon Unified School District

675 W. Manning Avenue

Riedley, CA 93654

Carol Doerksen

\(559\) 626-5910

Recommended Grant: \$ 321,622

Kings Canyon Unified School District (KCUSD) encompasses over 500 square
miles, serves three rural communities, and consists of 11 elementary
schools (plus one new K-8 school opening in Fall 2008), three middle
schools, two comprehensive high schools, one continuation school, and
one alternative education school. The library project will serve 17
schools and 9000 students in the district and will increase access to
up-to-date school library materials; provide up-to-date laptops, LCD
projectors, visual presenters, electric wall-mounted screens, and
instructional technology carts to all site libraries to be used for
instructional and training purposes; provide access to well-trained,
professionally certified school Library Media Specialists who will work
on information literacy skills and collaborative projects with teachers
and students; and provide extended hours during the school year and
summer and materials to support the literacy activities during these
extended times.

\# S364A080426

Lynwood Unified School District

11321 Bullis Road

Lynwood, CA 90262

Chidiebere Onyia

\(310\) 886-1439

Recommended Grant: \$499,976

Lynwood Unified School District (LUSD), an inner-city district located
near the Watts section of Los Angeles, serves approximately 16,900
students in 12 elementary schools, three middle schools, two
comprehensive high schools, and an alternative school. Eighty five
percent of students are socioeconomic disadvantaged. This grant project
is proposed as the first year of MILE---Multiyear Innovation in our
Libraries to support Education, aiming for realistic expectations and
commitments. MILE's ultimate goal is improved student achievement. This
district-wide improvement program includes acquiring up-to-date school
library media resources and advanced technology, facilitating
resource-sharing networks, and providing students with access to school
libraries during non-school hours.

\# S364A080322

Modesto City Elementary District

426 Locust Street

Modesto, CA 95351-2699

Carol Ligon\
(209) 576-4933

Recommended Grant: \$506,948

The Modesto City Elementary School district (MCS) has 12,766 students
enrolled in 23 urban elementary schools serving grades K-6. The MCS will
be served through the K-6 Libraries Supporting Academic Achievement
(LSAA) initiative. The first objective of the LSAA initiative will be to
update library collections, particularly in science, reference, easy
fiction, and fiction, and to increase the book-to-student ratio. The
second objective of the LSAA initiative will be to update technology
resources. All school sites will need a magazine subscription database
in order for English Language Learners to gain access to the core
curriculum using a variety of materials. In addition, activities will be
developed for Library Assistants to use with classes that reinforce the
standards being taught by the Library Media Specialist in the library or
in the classroom by the teacher.

**[Colorado]{.underline}**

\# S364A080267

School District 1, City and County of Denver

900 Grant Street

Denver, CO 80203-2907

Jody Gehrig

\(720\) 423-8101

Recommended Grant: \$314,947

Denver Public Schools (DPS) is a large urban school district, with a
highly

diverse student population of 78,000. The proposed project, Building
Early Literacy in Libraries (BELL), will focus on nine high-risk,
high-poverty Title I schools within the school district: the expected
number of students participating in this project is 2,052 early
childhood education, Kindergarten, and First Graders. Each school site
will be allocated \$22,625 to purchase print resources for emerging and
early readers. BELL will utilize grant funds to provide Literacy
Computer Centers in the libraries at the nine school sites. Each
Literacy Computer Center will have an internet-connected computer and
printer. Funds will also be allocated to provide professional
development for teacher librarians, classroom teachers, and
paraprofessionals.

**[Florida]{.underline}**

\# S364A080197

School District of Columbia County, FL

372 W. Duval St

Lake City, FL 32055-3990

Wanda Conner

\(386\) 755-8048

Recommended Grant: \$ 265,794

Project Media Update will serve 5,064 Columbia County elementary school
students, of whom 58 percent are eligible for free and reduced meals.
Columbia County has urban and rural areas. Columbia School District's
Reading Plan, accessible from Florida's Just Read! Web site, lays out
interventions for students reading below proficiency levels that align
with Project objectives. The project seeks to: increase the current
nonfiction collection; increase student and parent access to---and use
of---the media center; and teach students to do research.

**[Illinois]{.underline}**

\# S364A080423

Chicago Public Schools, District #299

1326 West 14th Place

Chicago, IL 60608

Paul K. Whitsitt

\(773\) 553-6215

Recommended Grant: \$478,621

The Chicago Public Schools' "The A•B•Cs of Library Literacy Programming"
project

will improve student literacy in 12 urban elementary schools serving
8,607 students, targeting 1,656 1^st^ and 2^nd^ graders. The program
will obtain new print resources. Grant funds for print materials will be
allocated based upon each school's number of 1st and 2nd grade students.
Audio books with companion print versions, interactive eBooks, and
listening center equipment will aid students with diverse learning
styles and abilities. Scaled-to-size movable shelves or storage units
will be bought to help organize the library. Equipment such as
computers, a projector, SmartBoard technology, and a color printer will
be purchased to update the facilities. The program also will implement
library automation and extended hours of access to the library through
after-school, summer, or Saturday programs, helping children to remain
on track in their literacy development.

\# S364A080252

East St. Louis School District 189

1005 State Street

East St. Louis, IL 62201

Willard Mitchom

\(618\) 646-3002

Recommended Grant: \$ 297,014.

East St. Louis School District 189 has proposed the project,
*Encouraging Success through Literacy (ESL)*, which will upgrade the
libraries at four of the 22 school campuses to support improved student
reading skills and academic achievement. *ESL* will focus on four low
performing Pre K -- 5 buildings. Each of the four urban school sites has
its own library. All of these libraries lack sufficient computer
equipment and print materials to support student learning. *ESL* will
improve student reading skills and academic achievement by creating
inter-connected state-of-the art library media centers at each of the
identified Schools and connecting these library media centers to the
Lewis and Clark Library System serving the region.

**[Iowa]{.underline}**

\# S364A080310

Central Decatur Community School District

1201 NE Poplar St.

Leon, IA 50144

Becky Andrews

\(641\) 446-4816

Recommended Grant: 150,000

Central Decatur District (CD) is located in rural Decatur County, Iowa
and consists of three school buildings: South Elementary (PreK-3), North
Elementary (4-5) and North Middle/High School (6-12), serving 733
students. All three schools will be served through the library
initiative. The purpose of the project is to update and improve the
three library media centers at CD. Decatur County is a pervasively poor
county, and the grant will allow the library media collection at all
centers to be increased. Classes will be implemented to teach students
how to use the library effectively, and enhanced Accelerated Reading
media will be provided. The library media center hours will be expanded
to before and after school. Students and parents will have access to
technology resources. Libraries will be open before and after school,
one Saturday a month, and during the summer; library family nights will
be held monthly during the school year; and parent workshops will be
provided.

**[Kentucky]{.underline}**

\# S364A080085

Frankfort Independent School District

506 West Second Street

Suite 2

Frankfort, KY 40601

Dianne Cobb

\(502\) 875-8661

Recommended Grant: \$ 271,197

The Frankfort Independent School District intends to use grant funds to
increase the literacy skills of elementary students in its Second Street
School by: updating the current collections in the school library;
adding state-of-the-art technology and equipment that will enhance
internet connections; providing professional development for the current
librarian and teaching staff, and extending the library hours. The
anticipated program outcomes include: a well-equipped, up-to-date
library with high-quality, durable, and content-appropriate books on
adequate shelving; the addition of essential technologies that will
inspire students and community to embrace reading; the ability to
connect students and teachers to outside resources that will enhance the
learning process; an adequate number of well-trained, highly certified
teachers and library staff who will facilitate students' love of
reading; and a library open after school hours for students and
community literacy activities. Direct beneficiaries of the program in
this rural district will include 456 students, 15 members of the K-3
faculty, library staff, and the administration at the Second Street
School.

\# S364A080142

Hart County School District

511 West Union Street

Munfordville, KY 42765

Wesley Waddle

\(270\) 524-2631

Recommended Grant: \$ 453,433

Hart County Public Schools serves 2,472 rural students in six schools
(five PreK-8

elementary schools and one 9-12 high school). The overall goal of
*Project Hart SMART (Hart Students Making Advances with Reading and
Technology)* is to develop a highly collaborative, easily accessible
environment that promotes literacy. This project will transform each
school's Library Media Centers (LMCs) into a resource and technology
hub: library collections and technology will be updated by purchasing
materials to meet all students' needs and by purchasing online resources
for high-interest reading material and core content-related academic
material. Additional workstations for the LMCs also will be purchased.
An additional mobile computer lab will increase access within the LMC
and encourage collaboration, and library hours will be extended before
and after school and during summer, fall, and spring breaks. Library
collections and research subscriptions will be made available online and
iPods will be purchased for student checkout and technology integration
with literacy instruction.

**[Louisiana]{.underline}**

\# S364A080002

Caldwell Parish School District

219 Main Street

Columbia, LA 71418

Robin Nelson

\(318\) 649-2689

Recommended Grant: \$252,525

Caldwell School District is located in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, a
rural parish

with 10,560 residents occupying 529 square miles. Funding has not been
available for technology and up-to-date library holdings to support
Louisiana Curriculum Content Standards for the 930 elementary students,
grades K-6 within the CPSD.

The project activities, serving four school sites, will include
purchasing holdings, materials, and technology that correspond to and
complement the District's reading and content-area programs; providing
professional development for library media specialist and teachers for
best practices methodologies in teaching literacy; increasing student
access to advanced technology; facilitating Internet resources sharing;
and increasing access to the library media center during non-school
hours.

\# S364A080256

Sabine Parish School District

695 Peterson St.

Many, LA 71449

Eddie Jones Jr.

\(318\) 586-3681

Recommended Grant: \$ 155,831

Sabine Parish School District, in rural Louisiana, proposes a
student-focused, technology-centered plan for the libraries located in
its schools. This project will serve 536 students at Florien High School
and Elementary School. The district plans to provide students and
teachers with libraries they are motivated and inspired to use and which
meet the needs of this generation of students. These libraries will be
updated with new books, media, equipment and training for personnel and
will be open for extended hours.

\# S364A080049

St. James Parish School Board

1876 West Main Street

Lutcher, LA 70071

Pamela Bourgeois

\(225\) 869-5375

Recommended Grant: \$ 380,787

The St. James school district took in over 700 students after Hurricane
Katrina, and St. James Parish was declared a disaster area for both
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. St. James Parish has 4,022 students in this
urban district and many of the students and their parents are in need of
basic social services to address poor health, high unemployment, poor
literacy skills, and high rates of crime and teenage pregnancy. St.
James Parish's strategic plan has established literacy as a
district-wide instructional focus: using the Reading Next research
information as a guide, it will concentrate on phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. The LSL program
will allow acquisition of, reference materials, technology and
equipment, and provide professional development and extended library
hours. LMS teacher collaboration will support the St. James Parish
literacy programs. Strategies to support the St. James Parish program,
across all grade levels, within the library media center will include:
ongoing assessment, monitoring, functional and grade-level instruction;
phonics instruction, word study and comprehension exercises;
literature-based reading; integrated writing; and process-based writing.

\# S364A080098

Webster Parish School Board

1442 Sheppard Street

Minden, LA 71055

Judy Noles

\(318\) 377-7052

Recommended Grant: \$ 498,271

The Gateway to Success program will target all eight junior high and
high schools, affecting 3,637 students to increase their reading
achievement and literacy skills in urban Webster Parish. Webster Parish
statistics show that forty-two percent of 7th-12th grade students
perform below basic levels in reading, the average junior/high school
library collection is 21 years old, and the average age of junior/high
school library computers is 5 years old. The program objectives include
increasing the collection in fiction and nonfiction books and resources;
extending school library hours and increasing student reading
achievement.

**[Maine]{.underline}**

\# S364A080044

Maine School Administrative District No. 46

10 Spring Street

Dexter, ME 04930

Ann Crane Jordan

\(207\) 924-5262

Recommended Grant: \$ 335,021

Project IMAGINE will address the needs of 671 students in rural Maine
School Administrative District (MSAD) #46 at Garland Elementary School,
grades K-2, Exeter Consolidated School, grades 3-5, Dexter Primary
School, grades K-4, and Dexter Middle School, grades 5-8, in central
Maine. Project IMAGINE will use program funds to accomplish the
following objectives: promote the integration of library materials into
the curriculum; increase the number of collaborative classroom projects;
support the district reading program by culling and augmenting library
collections of print and non-print materials; use technology as a
gateway to information and a vehicle for learning by creating
state-of-the-art library media centers; promote critical thinking and
research skills by acquiring online, information-seeking resources;
improve student academic achievement by hiring a certified library media
specialist who, working as an information specialist, will be a partner
in educating students, integrating resources into the classroom, and
teaching students the skills they need to become effective users of
ideas and information; ensure a high-quality learning environment by
providing ongoing and sustained professional development to library
staff and elementary classroom teachers; and increase access to library
resources by extending library hours.

\# S364A080430

Maine School Administrative District No. 48

P.O. Box 40

Newport, ME 04953

Susan Russell

\(207\) 368-5091

Recommended Grant: \$232,062

The Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) No. 48 "MyLibrary"
project will serve approximately 2,200 students in grades K-12, with an
emphasis on the 1,500 students in five elementary schools and two middle
schools (grades K-8). MSAD 48 is located in an extremely rural section
of central Maine and is spread over six towns in two counties. Literacy
achievement in the district lags far behind state standards, with over
50 percent of students failing to fully meet reading standards in six of
the nine grades in the elementary and middle schools. The district's
school libraries serve as one of the only sources of reading materials
for these students and therefore require robust, current, and diverse
collections. However, many of the books are in poor condition or well in
excess of 10 years old. There fewer than two computers per hundred
students, and many of these are old and very slow. The overall goal of
the project is to raise student literacy achievement at least 10
percent. The project seeks to reach that goal by enhancing students'
access to high-quality, engaging library resources, increasing the
amount students read for enjoyment, and increasing collaboration between
teachers and librarians.

\# S364A080482

Woodland School Department

844 Woodland Center Road

Woodland, Maine 04736

Paul Swanson

\(207\) 496-2981

Recommended Grant: \$258,554

Woodland School Department serves one school, Woodland Consolidated
School, with

111 students in grades K-8. The school is located in rural Woodland,
Maine in the northernmost county in the state, less than an hour's drive
from Canada. The library will be brought back into the center of the
learning environment as the school's information hub. To this end, the
Department will hire a certified librarian, improve the print and
non-print collections, improve technology to create an interactive
learning center, facilitate resource-sharing networks and access to
online resources, provide professional development for staff, and extend
library hours. The goals of the program are to improve student academic
achievement and create knowledgeable students who have the educational
support to become responsible, active citizens. The program will address
and support the district improvement plan by providing improved reading
resources, professional development materials, and technology to support
a modern curriculum.

**[Massachusetts]{.underline}**

\# S364A080113

Springfield Public Schools

195 State Street

Springfield, MA 01103-1704

Judy Alexander

\(413\) 787-7133

Recommended Grant: \$ 250,772

Springfield Public Schools serves 26,000 students in 47 urban schools;
high family poverty, dropout, and suspension rates challenge the
district to conduct early interventions to improve literacy skills and
academic achievement. Five elementary schools, with a combined
population of 1,908, the most outdated and meager library resources, the
highest student poverty rates, and the lowest reading scores were
selected for upgrades and a comprehensive program to improve early
literacy and reading performance. To demonstrate how "A Reading
Community Helps Enrich Students," the ARCHES project will update and
upgrade library media collections and resources; upgrade and acquire
technology-support materials; increase access to and use of library
media centers; and support professional development that will promote
increased library use and collaboration between library media
specialists and teachers. Activities that promote a culture of reading
at home and in school, with upgraded Library Media Centers as the
cornerstone, will be implemented to improve early literacy and
information literacy as articulated in each School Improvement Plan.

\# S364A080349

Worcester Public Schools

20 Irving Street

Worcester, MA 01609

Joan M. Fitton

\(508\) 799-3110

Recommended Grant: 280,444

Worcester Public Schools plans to implement the Ancient Myths to Modern
Legends (AM\--ML) to help motivate over 3,000 students to read by
establishing each of the five middle school libraries as a literacy hub.
It will serve a high-need urban school district with significant
percentages of students in subgroup populations. The program has
identified students who are not native English Speakers: Special
Education students also may have an increased barrier to accessing media
center resources and increasing their literacy proficiency. AM_ML
intends to address these barriers by increasing accommodations for
special education students---specifically by purchasing Inspiration and
Kurzweil software and multilevel materials. Significant resources will
be directed to improve the collections' accessibility for readers at all
levels and to purchase culturally responsive materials.

**[Michigan]{.underline}**

\# S364A080357

Public Schools of the City of Muskegon

349 W. Webster Avenue

Muskegon, MI 49440

Linda Riepma

\(231\) 720-2039

Recommended Grant: \$495,222

Muskegon Public Schools (MPS) serve the children of Muskegon in seven
elementary and two middle schools and one high school. MPS is an urban
district located in west Michigan along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Muskegon Public Schools will enhance its library collections, increase
media center technology resources, and extend hours of operation and
programs for students and parents, essentially re-creating its Library
Media Centers as the literacy learning hubs of its schools. The School
Improvement Plans call for improving students' writing skills at all
levels, including information acquisition and use, critical thinking,
and presenting information in a variety of formats.

**[Missouri]{.underline}**

\# S364A080390

Lakeland R-III School District

12530 Lakeland School Drive

Deepwater, MO 64740-8138

Laberta Culver

\(417\) 644-2223

Recommended Grant: \$500,000

The Lakeland R-III and Osceola School Districts are partnering to serve
a total of 508 students through the Innovate program, which proposes to
use funding for Library Media Center (LMC) resources in the two K-6
libraries. The districts are predominantly in St. Clair County,
Missouri, a state that has not received funding through the grant since
2005. In addition to enduring poverty and often transient situations,
students in these rural communities live a considerable distance from
the schools and are unable to access libraries on a regular basis.
Technology use is severely limited by lack of funding. The Innovate
program will offer several creative strategies for overcoming these
obstacles: updating books, reference materials, and audiovisual devices
to meet state standards for libraries; implementing a mobile computer
lab in each school and updating desktop computers and other accessories;
providing ten laptops and educational software for each school LMC;
purchasing portable interactive whiteboard technology units to
facilitate learning and technological advancement for students who most
likely do not have a computer at home; strengthening technological
networks and teaching students how to access information; providing
professional development opportunities for the LMS and K-3 teachers to
collaborate and strengthen literacy instruction; employing each Library
Media Specialist (LMS) full time; and hiring and training part-time LMC
aides for each school to extend LMC hours and make the library more
accessible to families.

**[New Mexico]{.underline}**

\# S364A080282

Corona Public Schools

P. O. Box 258

250 Franklin Avenue

Corona, NM 88318-0258

Linda Greer

\(575\) 849-1911

Recommended Grant: \$203,106

Project Read To Achieve will improve the district library media center
for 46 students in Pre-K-6 at Corona Elementary and 49 students in 7-12
at Corona High. The schools are located in the rural village of Corona,
which has a population of 210. Program funds will used to improve
collections of print and non-print materials, create a state-of-the-art
library media center, facilitate access to information-seeking
resources, provide professional development in literacy instruction
techniques and technology integration, and increase access to the
Library Media Center by extending library hours. The project's goal is
ultimately to increase student achievement and give students a life-long
love of reading.

\# S364A080163

Tularosa Municipal Schools

504 1st Street

Tularosa, NM 88352-2702

Steven Kiley

\(505\) 585-8800

Recommended Grant: \$ 399,423

Tularosa Municipal Schools, in rural New Mexico, serves a total of 1,044
students in four schools: Tularosa Elementary, Tularosa Intermediate,
Tularosa Middle, and Tularosa High Schools. Project R.E.A.D (Read to
Empower, Achieve, and Discover) will improve collections of print and
non-print materials, introduce new technology to create a
state-of-the-art library media center, provide access to
resource-sharing networks, facilitate internet linkages, provide
directed and sustained professional development for library staff and
Pre-K-3 teachers, and extend library hours beyond the traditional school
day. The result of these initiatives will be improved literacy skills,
brought about by increased use of library media center materials,
increased number of collaborative classroom projects, improved research
methods and critical thinking skills, a highly trained professional
staff who are effective literacy instructors, and increased access to
these inter-related resources.

**[New York]{.underline}**

\# S364A080250

The Belfast Central School District

One King Street

Belfast, NY 14711

Judith May

\(585\) 365-9940

Recommended Grant: \$ 373,169

The Belfast Central School Districts and six other eligible school
districts, area public libraries, with Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES and
Canisius College, intend to implement Project: LIFE (Libraries Improve
the Future for Everyone). all have been categorized, by the New York
State Education Department (NYSED) as "rural systems with high student
needs in relation to district resource capacity". The project aims to:
improve performance of ±3000 elementary students on federal/state
assessments through enhanced collaborations among classroom teachers,
district library media specialists and community librarians. The project
will accomplish its objectives by improving children's oral language
ability, phonemic awareness, phonetics, vocabulary, reading fluency, and
text comprehension using technology and printed materials; updating and
enriching current library collections; establishing cost-effective
teleconferencing among district/public libraries; engaging young people
in reading; and preparing teachers and librarians to understand and
integrate Partnerships for 21st Century Skills and Academy of Reading
into instructional units, aligned with the New York State standards,
responsive to the needs of disparate learners.

\# S364A080371

Binghamton City School District

164 Hawley Street

Binghamton, NY 13901

Trina Newton

\(607\) 762-8100 ext. 220

Recommended Grant: \$229,817.00

Ranked as the 7th poorest of the state's 686 public school districts,
Binghamton City School District (BCSD) serves a population of 6,200 K-12
students in an urban, eleven-building campus in South-central New York
State. BCSD is a "District In Need Of Improvement" and will join forces
with Broome--Tioga BOCES, the EMS Parent Teacher Organization, GEAR-up
and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, in a
multi-pronged effort to improve student achievement in literacy through
the enhancement and integration of library media services. Components of
the effort include: upgrading current library holdings with collections
of curriculum aligned, research-based, print, audio, video,
technological, and digital resources; extending library hours five
nights per week; integrating library services and staff with in-school
and after-school initiatives and opportunities.

\# S364A080345

Mount Pleasant Cottage School Union Free School District

1075 Broadway

PO Box 8

Pleasantville, NY 10570

Liz Gallo

\(914\) 769-0456

Recommended Grant: \$215,712

The Mount Pleasant Cottage School Union Free School District, a public
school

district located in urban New York, serves the educational needs of 441
children, mostly wards of the foster care system with cognitive and
emotional disabilities. The goals of the program are to improve the
reading skills and academic achievement of students through
project-based learning activities using an enhanced, updated, and
technologically-engaging school library media center. The proposed
project seeks to accomplish this goal by increasing access to the
library and to up-to-date school library materials. It will create a
multimedia learning center in the library, equipped with relevant
technology, by sharing resources with the local county library and by
hiring a full-time school library media specialist.

\# S364A080287

Utica City School District

1115 Mohawk Street

Utica, NY 13323

Carla Percia

\(315\) 792-2215

Recommended Grant: \$175,137

The urban Utica Library Program targets Kernan School, a high poverty,
low-performing elementary school serving 605 students in grades K-5 that
has just been identified as a School in Need of Improvement for English
Language Arts (ELA). This project, Libraries: Leading the Way to
Literacy, will attain the outcome of improved student reading and
academic achievement through its goals and activities that provide
literacy training and leadership opportunities for the Library Media
Specialist. The goals include acquiring school library resources that
reflect the needs of today's students; ensuring a well-equipped,
technologically advanced school library media center to promote
information retrieval and sharing; providing professional development to
improve instructional strategies that improve literacy and foster
collaboration between the Library Media Specialist and teaching staff;
improving student achievement in ELA; and providing students and
families with increased access to up-to-date school library materials
through extending the library's hours beyond the school day.

**[Oklahoma]{.underline}**

\# S364A080152

Agra Public Schools

P.O. Box 279

Coweta, OK 74824

Wes McFarland

\(918\) 375-2261

Recommended Grant: \$ 144,232

Helping Enrich Reading Opportunities (Project HERO) requests funds for
literacy and library improvement for Agra Public School in a small,
rural, North Central Oklahoma district. Because the district has a small
local tax base and limited state revenues, the purchase of up-to-date
library materials and computers has been restricted. The PreK-12 site
serves a total of 428 students at two school library sites. This grant
will be used to update and increase print and non-print library
resources, to provide modern technology, to increase library hours, and
to provide professional development for teachers. The purpose of these
improvements is to provide all students with opportunities to increase
literacy skills and reading fluency. Print and non-print selections will
be aligned to the school curriculum and student needs through
collaboration among the teachers and the library media specialists. The
fiction collection will be updated to stimulate reading enjoyment.
Computers will also be added in addition to supplemental media products
and supplies: these will provide students with hands-on technology
experience that has not been feasible in the past. Library hours will be
extended on a regular basis---including summer---to allow for special
programs and additional access to library materials for students in all
grades.

\# S364A080013

Albion Public School

Highway 271 South

P.O. Box 100

Albion, OK 74521

Eugenia Coffey

\(918\) 563-4331

Recommended Grant: \$ 271,518

Project Reading Initiative for the Future (RIF) will affect 101 students
in pre-K-8th grade at Albion School, which is the only school in Albion,
Oklahoma. Albion is an extremely rural community, characterized by high
levels of unemployment, low levels of education among adults, and high
poverty rates. These challenges will be addressed by improving the
Albion School library\--the only library in town. Current technology,
multimedia resources, and distance learning opportunities will be
integrated into the classroom curricula to provide students
opportunities otherwise unavailable. The project seeks to improve
overall student literacy, academic achievement, and teacher competency
by improving library collections of print and non-print materials;
purchasing state-of-the art technology to increase collaborative
projects and support the district curricula; providing students access
to online information-seeking resources; providing professional
development to the library media center staff and K-3 teachers; and
extending library hours of operation to increase student access to the
library media center resources.

\# S364A080405

Atoka Public Schools

1003 W. 11^th^\
Atoka, OK 73096

Dawn Loftis

\(580\) 889-5640

Recommended Grant: \$138,132

Atoka Public Schools and its three libraries serve 934 students in
grades K-12 in

the impoverished rural southeast part of Oklahoma. Adverse living
conditions and a lack of resources have contributed to poor literacy
skills of students, threatening the school with being placed on the
state's list of Schools Needing Improvement due to low standardized
reading test scores. The Read Up Atoka project will use grant funds to:
update library resources and advanced technologies, which include book
materials for K-3 students, emergent readers, special needs students,
reluctant readers, and high school students preparing for careers;
obtain non-print materials and technologies; improve instruction and
library use for professional development for teachers and collaboration
between librarians and teachers; and improve access to all three
libraries by extending library hours throughout the year.

\# S364A080084

Briggs Public School

17210 S. 569 Road

Tahlequah, OK 74464

Alicia O\'Donnell

\(918\) 456-4221 ext 108

Recommended Grant: \$ 151,699

Briggs Public School District is located in rural Cherokee County in
Northeastern Oklahoma. Current enrollment at Briggs School is 506
students in Pre-K through eighth grade of which over ninety-three
percent qualify for free or reduced lunches. Briggs Public School,
through Project Achieve, will improve reading skills and academic
achievement for all students by transforming an out-of-date school
library into a thriving, up-to-date, technologically advanced library
media center that is a vital part of the teaching/learning process.
Laptop computers with wireless Internet access for flexible and mobile
use, projectors, printers, scanners, smart board, e-books, an up-to-date
automated library system, and online database subscriptions will bring
the library into the age of technology. In addition, Project Achieve
will be providing students with access to school libraries during
non-school hours, including before and after school and during summer
vacation periods, thereby enhancing student opportunities for reading
achievement and lifelong reading.

\# S364A080376

Checotah Public Schools

310 SW 2nd Street

Checotah, OK 74426

Denise Donathan

918-473-5610

Recommended Grant: \$214,011

Checotah Public Schools is a rural district in northeastern Oklahoma.
There are

1,420 students enrolled on four campuses, and three libraries (Lower
Elementary PreK-2nd grade, Upper Elementary 3rd-5th grade, and
Middle/High School 6th -- 12th grade). There is one Library Media
Specialist at each of the three libraries. Grant funds will provide
3,200 new books, as most of the books for young children are worn out
paperbacks or old books that have been weeded out of other sections of
the library. Grant funds will also replace 400 non-fiction and 1,100
fiction books for the Middle/High School Library to achieve state
standards and funds will allow the district to upgrade hardware,
software, and networking capability that will provide additional student
access to computer-assisted instruction, Internet, and research
databases. The program will replace five to seven-year-old desktops that
frequently break down at all three sites.

\# S364A080219

Chickasha Independent School District

900 W. Choctaw

Chickasha, OK 73018

Cathy Simer

\(405\) 222-6524

Recommended Grant: \$ 246,081

Chickasha's Linking Libraries and Learning Program serves 2,498 students
in

early childhood through grade 12, with four elementary schools, one
middle school, and one high school in this rural community. The program
will use library media centers to improve student achievement in reading
by updating collections, acquiring current technologies, training
library media specialists, and extending library hours. The six library
media specialists will use grant-purchased computers to train staff in
Internet resources provided by the Oklahoma State Department of
Education. They will also train staff in information literacy as it
applies to the Internet. With substitutes hired to assist them, library
media specialists will collaborate with classroom instructors to plan
weekly lessons in library research skills, information literacy, media
literacy, and Internet safety as evidenced by planning books and
administrative observation. Library instruction will be based on
research and best practice.

\# S364A080381

Gage Public Schools

202 West Highway 15

PO Box 60

Gage, OK 73843

Doug Taylor\
(580) 923-7666

Recommended Grant: \$165,988

Gage is a rural, economically depressed community located in Northwest
Oklahoma with two schools: Elementary (PK-8) and High School (9-12)
serving 116 students. The combination of high poverty and low parental
education levels (20 percent lack a high school diploma) exacerbates
literacy problems. The 3L Project: Linking Literacy through Realizing
will assist the school as funds will be used to purchase print,
non-print, and technology resources to create a modern media center. A
large portion of the budget will be used to improve a PreK-8 collection
and update the high school collection (with an emphasis on non-fiction
titles). The program also will provide professional development for
school library media specialists and provide students with access to
school libraries during non-school hours.

\# S364A080011

Hugo Public Schools

208 N 2nd St.

Hugo, OK 74743

Karen Lyles

\(580\) 326-6483

Recommended Grant: \$202,761

**Project L**iteracy and **E**ducation **A**re **R**eally **N**ecessary
has been designed to meet the needs of all 1401 students in rural Hugo
Schools through a comprehensive plan that will improve student reading
achievement by enhancing library services at the four school libraries:
elementary, intermediate, middle school, and high school. The project is
aligned with the district's Comprehensive Local Education Plan goals.
The goals of Project LEARN are 1) to improve overall reading and core
subject area test scores and 2) to sustain over time improvements begun
through Project LEARN.

\# S364A080173

Mill Creek School District

PO Box 118

Mill Creek, OK 74856

Lorinda Chancellor

\(580\) 384-5514

Recommended Grant: \$ 250,377

The rural Mill Creek School District intends to use grant funds to
increase the literacy skills of the students by updating the current
collections in the school library; adding much needed state-of-the-art
technology and equipment to enhance internet connections; providing
professional development for the current librarian and teaching staff;
extending the library hours; and adding a library assistant. These
activities are in line with and enhance the School Plan of Improvement,
which states that it "...should develop a comprehensive school-wide
literacy and technology program designed to allow students to be
competitive with students from other districts."

\# S364A080301

Muskogee Public Schools

202 West Broadway

Muskogee, OK 74401

Derryl Venters

\(918\) 684-3700

Recommended Grant: \$396,768

Teaching Reading and Instructional Literacy (Project TRAIL) will be
implemented in ten Muskogee Public School elementary libraries, serving
a total of 3,741 students at ten, rural school library sites. Updated
print and non-print library resources, updated technology, increased
library hours and professional development provided to all PreK-3rd
grade faculty will be provided through grant funding. The purpose of
these improvements is to provide all students with opportunities to
increase literacy proficiency. Library hours will be extended beyond the
school day to allow for additional access to library materials for
students in all grades. Through these extended hours, Project TRAIL will
introduce a reading center concept to reading improvement.

\# S364A080075

Quapaw Elementary School

305 West 1st Street

Quapaw, OK 74363

Sharla Heltzel

\(918\) 674-2501

Recommended Grant: \$ 140,540

Quapaw is a small community in rural Oklahoma, and a recent influx of
students into Quapaw Elementary, the focus site for this application, is
putting additional stress on inadequate library media center resources.
This literacy project is designed to improve student achievement from
Pre-K through 5th grade. Its activities are designed to improve the
average copyright and increase nonfiction circulation through the
purchase of approximately 2,400 books, which will increase the number of
quality books per student from about 3 to 10 per student; provide a
well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media center and
resources; increase resource-sharing networks with public and collegiate
libraries; provide up to 20 hours of professional development for the
media specialist and K-3 certified teachers on research-based strategies
to increase student reading achievement; and provide 112 extended hours
of access to the library media center.

\# S364A080232

Shady Point Public Schools

22838 Wheelus

Shady Point, OK 74956

Marie Akins

\(918\) 963-2595

Recommended Grant: \$ 240,201

Shady Point Public School District, servicing only 127 students, is
located in a rural community that experiences an 81% poverty level,
limiting students' experiential knowledge. To meet Blue Ribbon
standards, a balanced total of 2,032 books aligned to core curriculum
(127 students x 16 books/student) are needed. The current status of
technology at Shady Point Public School District is dismal. Students
have *no access* to technology to enrich their learning experiences.
Technology will be purchased to support literacy building skills and
will provide differentiated instruction, serving to actively engage
students in the learning process, resulting in improved achievement.

\# S364A080146

Tulsa County Independent School District No. 1

3027 S. New Haven

Tulsa, OK 74114-6131

Roberta Ellis

\(918\) 746-6523

Recommended Grant: \$ 456,373

The proposed project will provide critically needed resources, training
and support for a targeted reading intervention program aligned to and
supporting the District Improvement Plan. This proposal seeks funding
for 17 schools including, 2 High Schools, 4 Middle Schools, 11
Elementary Schools in the urban Tulsa Public School District, that have
failed to meet Oklahoma's API (Annual Performance Index) and/or have
been designated as Schools in Need of Improvement. The goal of project
CLASS (Collaborating for Literacy and Academic Student Success) is to
improve student reading and overall achievement by: providing access to
improved, diverse collections targeted toward young readers; improving
capacity and performance of LMS, teachers, and principals to work
collaboratively; increasing and integrating technology and information
resources throughout the curriculum; and extending library hours to
increase student/family access to diverse library resources.

**[Oregon]{.underline}**

\# S364A080334

School District No. 1J, Multnomah County

P.O. Box 3107

Portland, OR 97208-3107

Edith Fuller

\(503\) 916-3406

Recommended Grant: \$499,892

Portland Public Schools, the largest urban district in the Pacific
Northwest with an

enrollment of 43,130 primarily low-income students, will begin the final
year of reconfiguring 22 K-5 schools into K-8 models this fall.
Improving Libraries\--Improving Literacy focuses on increasing student
achievement in reading; increasing library book, resource, and equipment
acquisitions to better meet student and school needs; and providing
high-quality, focused professional development for school library staff
leading to increased collaboration with teachers and increased
information and service to students. The grant will allow for the
purchase of more than 300 books for each school, including materials for
English Language Learners.

**[Pennsylvania]{.underline}**

\# S364A080355

Harrisburg School District

2101 N. Front Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110

Debra K. Ferguson

\(717\) 703-4167

Recommended Grant: 306,743

The Harrisburg School District serves 9,000 students at thirteen
elementary schools and four high schools. The Harrisburg School District
is located in the urban center of the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Through the Promoting Excellence Through Advanced Library Skills
(PETALS) Program, Harrisburg School District will improve student
reading skills and academic achievement by providing students with an
up-to-date, relevant, and timely collection of school library materials.
These materials will be organized in Pathfinders and will include
related Internet and online databases and lesson plan links, placing an
emphasis on early literacy and parent involvement. To maximize the
multimedia materials and online resources, the Program Manager, in
cooperation with the Dauphin County Public Library System, will
incorporate public library materials and Internet links into the
Pathfinder system. Additionally, PETALS will allow the district to
purchase advanced technology for the school libraries, including
SMARTBoards and distance learning/teleconferencing equipment and
software.

\# S364A080400

School District of Pittsburgh

Library Services

341 S. Bellefield Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Samuel Jackendoff

\(412\) 338-8070

Recommended Grant: \$477,080

The Library Services Division of the Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS)
proposes to increase the use of school libraries throughout Pittsburgh
at PPS's 20 elementary, 19 K-8, and 11 middle schools in this urban
area. PPS will significantly upgrade the science and technology holdings
of those libraries; provide for extended library hours at all
participating schools; and build students' information literacy by
encouraging library-based research projects.

\# S364A080100

Scranton School District

425 North Washington Ave.

Scranton, PA 18503

Nancy Hlavaty

\(570\) 348-3432

Recommended Grant: \$ 263,035

The Scranton School District in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is located in
Lackawanna

County in the northeastern section of the state. Scranton is a former
coal mining,

manufacturing, and railroad town. Five urban elementary school sites
(Adams, Audubon, Bancroft, Lincoln Jackson, and Prescott), enrolling
1,300 students in total, have been selected for library collection
improvement. These schools have the oldest library materials, the lowest
number of books per student, insufficient computers for student and
teacher use, and the lowest reading scores on the Pennsylvania System of
School Assessment test. This project seeks to: upgrade library
collections from *Below Standard* to *Acceptable* levels; increase
student and teacher access to those collections through computer
acquisitions; provide professional development to library media
specialists in collaboration with educators; and provide extended access
to school libraries. These objectives align with the district's
Strategic Plan, which aims to increase student achievement in reading
through improved library collections, teacher training, and computer
acquisitions.

**[Tennessee]{.underline}**

\# S364A080438

Memphis City Schools

2597 Avery

Memphis, TN 38112

Margaret Montgomery

\(901\) 416-5382

Recommended Grant: \$443,936

Memphis City Schools (MCS) will improve the literacy level and academic
achievement of 29,123 urban K-12 students in 39 MCS schools (7
elementary schools, 15 middle schools/junior high schools, 15 high
schools, and 2 schools serving grades 7 through 12) that have been
designated by Tennessee as "high-priority" based on their failure to
meet NCLB guidelines. MCS will expand library collections in these
schools, particularly in the areas of nonfiction materials; assure at
least two up-to-date student computers per library; increase
collaboration between librarians, teachers, and administrators; and
extend library hours.

\# S364A080067

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

2601 Bransford Avenue

Nashville, TN 37204-2811

Susan Whitworth

\(615\) 259-8412

Recommended Grant: \$ 334,376

Project Literacy First is an "Improving Literacy Through School
Libraries" program

proposal developed by the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to
improve student reading skills and academic achievement at three urban
under-achieving, high-poverty high schools (9-12), by providing students
with increased access to up-to-date library materials; well-equipped,
technologically advanced school library media centers; and well-trained,
professionally certified school library media specialists.

The three Project Literacy First target sites will serve a population of
3,031 students.

Project Literacy First has identified three primary objectives: reducing
the

number of old and outdated items in the library collection; increasing
the ratio of library items-to-students; and raising reading test scores
to a level that predicts success in higher-level coursework.

**[Texas]{.underline}**

\# S364A080121

Bloomington Independent School District

P.O. BOX 158

Bloomington, TX 77951

Brad Williams

\(361\) 897-1652

Recommended Grant: \$ 481,020

The Bloomington Independent School District has two elementary (K-6)
libraries and one secondary school library (7^th^-12^th^), and its
proposed Library Advancement Makes Programs (LAMP) Program will serve
953 students as it improves literacy in this rural district. LAMP's
objectives include: upgrading school library resources by adding
approximately 12,300 new titles; hiring three part-time library aides to
increase school library hours of operation from an average of about 30
hours per week to 50 hours per week; establishing a mini-computer lab at
each School Library Media Center (SLMC) with 15 computer workstations;
providing training to each student and staff member on how to access and
use the online databases and catalogs; hiring a Certified Library Media
Specialist (CLMS) as the program director; involving the CLMS in
collaborating with teachers and administrators in curricula and
instruction planning related to activities that improve student literacy
and academic skills; and establishing an Advisory Board, at each
library, with broad stakeholder involvement, to increase knowledge of
the library\'s impact on literacy development**.**

\# S364A080205

Education Service Center, Region 2

209 N. Water Street

Corpus Christi, TX 78401

Kim Picozzi

\(361\) 561-8670

Recommended Grant: \$ 497,870

Future Driven School Libraries is a comprehensive program of library
improvement, professional development, collaboration, and parental
involvement to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement
by enhancing the schools' library programs at ten schools serving Grades
6-8 in ten rural school districts in a six-county area of South Texas.
The project will be managed by the Education Service Center, Region 2
and will positively impact 16 school library staff; 1,895 students; 274
teachers; and a potential 3,790 parents. The age and balance of the book
collections will be significantly improved to support the curriculum by
purchasing at least 11,370 new books, focusing on the non-fiction
category. Access will be increased by extending library hours. Advanced
presentation technology will enhance the integration of library literacy
services with the curriculum. Teachers and librarians will collaborate
to integrate research-based strategies learned from professional
development on adolescent reading instruction. Parents will increase
their involvement in students' learning through family literacy
activities. Library staff, students, teachers, and parents will have
increased access to and understanding of electronic, multi-media
academic resources. Author visits and career awareness speakers will
increase student motivation to improve literacy skills.

\# S364A080292

Fort Worth Independent School District

100 N. University Drive

Ste. SW204

Fort Worth, TX 76107

Tracy Marshall

\(817\) 871-2452

Recommended Grant: \$356,287

Fort Worth ISD is committed to implementing Uniting Professional
Development and Technology Education in Libraries (UPDATE Libraries), a
K-5 school library program aimed at improving student literacy.
UPDATE---a multi-faceted program focusing on librarian-teacher
collaboration, research skills and reading comprehension, and
educational technology---will benefit 7,200 students, 52 librarians, and
teachers at 13 urban elementary schools. At the centerpiece of UPDATE is
the collaboration of project librarians with campus teachers. The
librarian and teachers will receive four modules of professional
development covering methods and strategies for effective
library-classroom collaboration.

\# S364A080332

Navasota Independent School District

705 E. Washington

Navasota, TX 77868

Dr. Dawn Marie Zak Baletka

\(936\) 825-1112

Recommended Grant: \$293,231

Navasota is a rural school district with 2,939 students on six campuses.
With no

local bookstores and a small public library, the school libraries are
the primary source of reading material for youth. Navasota proposes to
improve student reading ability and academic achievements by
implementing Project LEADER (Libraries Empower Academic Development and
Excellent Readers). All campuses throughout the Navasota district will
receive benefit from Project LEADER, which will enhance academic
achievement in literacy from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The
core of Project LEADER is the purchase of books and other printed
reference materials that will be distributed throughout the six campuses
of the district. The project will include laptop computers, Smart
Boards, projectors for presentations, videos for learning technical
skills needed in today's society, and audio-visual equipment, to be made
available to students and teachers in media centers.

\# S364A080480

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District

P.O. Box 769

Pharr, TX 78577-1615

Nora Galvan

\(956\) 702-5991

Recommended Grant: \$300,215

The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District proposes to
implement Libraries Educating All Readers Now! (LEARN!), a comprehensive
program to improve the reading skills and academic achievement of
approximately 3,844 children in six of the urban district's most needy
and poorly performing elementary schools. The district will ensure
equitable access for participation in all LEARN! Program activities.
Special education teachers will collaborate with school librarians to
ensure that the needs of students with disabilities are met. The
proposed additions to library collections include multicultural texts
and books that reduce gender stereotyping, and high-interest/low-level
reading materials suitable for students at various reading levels and
grades, including English Language Learners.

\# S364A080188

South San Antonio Independent School District

2515 Bobcat Lane

San Antonio, TX 78224

Blanca Gonzalez

\(210\) 623-1875

Recommended Grant: \$ 499,214

The South San Antonio Independent School District is an urban school
district serving 9,951 students across 15 campuses. To address declining
reading scores in elementary school students, the District has developed
the Classroom and Library Connection (CLC) Project. The CLC will target
five secondary school campuses that serve approximately 4,558 students,
and provide those campuses with: updated print and non-print library
volumes; and increased numbers of high-speed computers connected to the
Internet.

**[Washington]{.underline}**

\# S364A080234

Clarkston School District

1294 Chestnut

Clarkston, WA 99403

Eric Price

\(509\) 758-2531

Recommended Grant: \$ 298,644

Clarkston School District is in a rural community located in the
southeast corner of the State of Washington with the nearest
metropolitan area, Spokane, WA, 120 miles to the north. The district
serves 2780 students in PreK-12th grades. Clarkston Schools need the
Literacy Through Library Program to support learning in all of its seven
schools. The district's fiscal emergencies, low socioeconomic status,
large populations of special education students and students who are not
meeting state standards, outdated library collections, cramped library
facilities, aging computers, lack of access to on-line services; and
libraries supervised by non-certificated, untrained staff members all
underscore the need for assistance. The program will aid the district by
allowing the purchase of much-needed books, enabling access to rich
texts for pre-school parents and children, improving literacy by
providing support and connectivity to access and use new technologies
and library resources.

**[Wyoming]{.underline}**

\# S364A080028

Fremont County School District #14

638 Blue Sky Highway

Ethete, WY 82520-9366

Leslie Voxland

\(307\) 332-9765

Recommended Grant: \$ 266,676

Two schools in rural Fremont \# 14 School District will be served by
program funding. Wyoming Indian Elementary, with 252 students in grades
Pre-K-5 and Wyoming Indian Middle School, with 171 students in grades
6-8, will participate in the "It Takes a Village" Project to improve
student academic achievement, increase reading and information literacy,
and make students life-long readers by: improving collections to
facilitate use of library resources, increase library/classroom
collaboration, and provide support for classroom curricula and the
District reading program; creating state-of-the-art library media
centers to stimulate student interest, address the needs of many types
of learners, and increase collaboration between the libraries and
classrooms; building local capacity by providing onsite professional
development for the schools' library media specialists and teachers in
grades K-3; and providing increased access for students and community
members to library media centers.