Our Rural Libraries grant enables rural public libraries to create excitement around reading, increase circulation, and strengthen relationships with the communities they serve.
CLiF works closely with the public library, the local elementary school, and area daycares and preschools to provide extensive support over the course of one school year. This includes:
CLiF will accept applications for the 2020-2021 Rural Library Grant until June 15, 2020. Please know there may be changes in the format, timing, and components as we work through COVID-19 and the outcomes. CLiF is looking for ways to serve you and our target audience in these unprecedented circumstances – please send any ideas to programs@clifonline.org.
“During CLiF presentations the children’s faces just lit up. We signed up close to 50 kids for library cards. The children are so interested in reading now. CLiF is a tough act to follow!”
Berlin, NH
“I do feel that the Year of the Book is making a change in the climate here – CLiF has given me ways to reach out and the families that need to be reached are responding.”
Liz Rosenfeld, School Librarian, Laconia, NH
CLiF’s virtual Book Club for Grown-ups series continues! In Book Club, CLiF’s award-winning presenters share their work and answer your questions. The series kicks off tonight (October 22) with Sarah Stewart Taylor discussing her new mystery novel, The Mountains Wild. Details here. Next month (November), we’ll be talking poetry with spoken word poet Rajnii Eddins, … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight
CLiF’s Wednesday afternoon storytelling series is back! Join CLiF and one of our professional presenters Wednesdays at 1 p.m. EST from October 14 to November 18. Watch the spring and summer presentations here. CLiF started these weekly sessions to: offer kids and parents a chance to take a break and share a story, highlight our … Continued
Since April, we’ve been offering a weekly virtual storytelling series for kids, featuring CLiF’s amazing storytellers, authors, and illustrators. Now, we’ll be offering a virtual book club for grown-ups, too! Many of the 68 Vermont and New Hampshire authors/storytellers we work with also write for adults. This will be an opportunity to dig into the … Continued
CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help / Education
An update to this post: Now that school is underway, CLiF is looking to rethink its Community Building Grant. We NEED your ideas! We will use them to formulate the components of this year’s Community Building grant. How CLiF can support teachers, parents, librarians, and administrators to succeed with literacy curriculum in a different and … Continued
The process of writing begins before you actually put pen to paper (or words on a screen). Many people find “pre-writing” helpful, notes or an outline to help guide their writing. Some prefer to just jump in and start writing and see what happens. There’s no “right” way to go about writing. Some kids are … Continued
Year of the Book / CLiF Spotlight
Enosburg Falls Elementary School in Enosburg Falls, VT has had a busy school year so far. In September, they kicked off their CLiF Year of the Book with storytelling by Duncan McDougall, their first book giveaway where kids chose new books for themselves, and a family literacy event featuring author David Martin and two more … Continued
Thank you to the 80+ librarians who joined CLiF at the Briggs Opera House/Hotel Coolidge in White River Junction for the Rural Library Conference.
My 8-year-old has discovered graphic novels. This format makes me feel old – I know my mom read comic books as a kid, but I could not understand the appeal of the graphic novel. I remember a conversation with a school librarian who said she needed to take a class to learn to read them. … Continued
As schools, libraries, afterschool programs, and preschools ramp up for fall, we wanted to share some low-cost literacy program ideas that CLiF partners generated last year. Many of our grants now include an additional program component. The ideas listed here came from these CLiF opportunities: Last winter, CLiF added a $500 Revive grant to any … Continued
61% of low-income families have no children’s books at home.