14768 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 59 / Thursday, March 27, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No. 84.039D]

Library Research and Demonstration;

Notice Inviting Applications for New

Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1997

Purpose of Program: The Library

Research and Demonstration Program

provides grants to institutions of higher

education and other public or private

agencies, institutions, and organizations

for research and demonstration

programs related to the improvement of

libraries, education in library and

information science, the enhancement

of library services through effective and

efficient use of new technologies, and

dissemination of information derived

from these projects.

Eligible Applicants: Institutions of

higher education that meet the

definition of eligibility under the terms

of 20 U.S.C. 1141(a) and other public or

private agencies, institutions, and

organizations.

Deadline for Transmittal of

Applications: May 12, 1997.

Deadline for Intergovernmental

Review: July 11, 1997.

Applications Available: March 28,

1997.

Available Funds: $1 million.

Estimated Average Size of Awards:

$200,000.

Estimated Number of Awards: 5.

Note: The Department is not bound by any

estimates in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 24 months.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The

Education Department General

Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in

34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 85,

and 86; and (b) the regulations in 34

CFR Part 700.

Invitational Priorities: The Secretary

invites applications in which libraries

help enhance the reading skills of young

children. The Secretary is particularly

interested in applications that meet one

or more of the following invitational

priorities. However, an application that

meets one or more of these priorities

does not receive competitive or absolute

preference over other applications (34

CFR 75.105(c)(1)).

Invitational Priority 1. Projects that

demonstrate new and promising library

reading programs to raise the reading

skills of young children. Projects should

be linked to school reading programs

and involve librarians, teachers,

principals, and reading specialists.

Invitational Priority 2. Projects that

develop and implement cooperative

efforts among libraries, schools, and

community-based organizations to

recruit and train volunteers for after

school, weekend, and summer library

reading programs. Projects may organize

corps of parents and grandparents to

serve as tutors to provide reading help

to children who need extra help.

Invitational Priority 3. Projects that

demonstrate model partnerships among

libraries, local businesses, and

community groups to stimulate young

children’s interest in reading. Projects

should encourage the expansion of

library resources through donations of

computer hardware, reading software,

and books.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August

27, 1996 President Clinton announced

The ‘‘America Reads’’ Challenge, a

major initiative to ensure that all

children can read independently and

well by the third grade. Approximately

40 percent of American third-graders

don’t read at the basic level on national

reading assessments. The President

invited our nation’s schools, libraries,

universities, communities, business

leaders, and others to help meet his

reading challenge. This invitational

priority is a direct response to this

challenge. By supporting

demonstrations of model library reading

programs coordinated with the schools

and disseminating those programs that

make a difference, we can move closer

to the national goal—an America where

every 8-year old can read.

FOR APPLICATIONS OR INFORMATION

CONTACT: Chris Dunn, U.S. Department

of Education, 555 New Jersey Avenue,

N.W., Room 300, Washington, DC

20208–5571. Telephone (202) 219–2299.

Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Services (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern

time, Monday through Friday.

Information about the Department’s

funding opportunities including copies

of application notices for discretionary

grant competitions, can be viewed on

the Department’s electronic bulletin

board (ED Board), telephone (202) 260–

9950; on the Internet Gopher Server (at

gopher://gcs.ed.gov); or on the World

Wide Web (at http://gcs.ed.gov).

However, the official application notice

for a discretionary grant competition is

the notice published in the Federal

Register.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1021, 1032.

Dated: March 24, 1997.

Marshall Smith,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Educational

Research and Improvement.

[FR Doc. 97–7814 Filed 3–26– 97; 8:45 am]

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