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PROGRAM GUIDELINES

Download a PDF of the guidelines.

What is Let's Talk About It?
How will programs work at my library?
What will participating libraries receive?
How to apply?
Contact Information
Eligibility & Requirements
Review Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions

What is Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature?

Let's Talk About It is a reading and discussion series led by local scholars and organized around themes that engage and stimulate audiences. The American Library Association (ALA) launched Let's Talk About It as a national program in 1982. Let's Talk About It has reached hundreds of libraries and more than four million people around the United States in the past 25 years.

Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature — Identity and Imagination is expanding audiences for Jewish literature nationwide and recruiting new libraries to the Let's Talk About It reading and discussion model.

Over the past three years, Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature grants have been awarded to 159 libraries in 39 states. These libraries have hosted nearly 800 discussions, attracting an estimated 15,000 participants. Many libraries have also presented additional programs tied to the theme of their discussion series, including lectures, film series, concerts, and art exhibits.

Inspired by the success and popularity of the program, the ALA Public Programs Office and Nextbook have developed a new, expanded version of Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature. We are pleased to announce these new guidelines, featuring six themes and increased funding for libraries, and encourage libraries across the country to apply.

Each participating library will receive a grant to support training, program materials, and honoraria for participating scholars. Libraries that have not hosted a Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature series before are eligible to apply for a $2,500 grant. Libraries that have already received a grant and completed a Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature series are eligible to apply for a single-series $2,500 grant or a two-series $5,000 grant.

How will Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature programs work at my library?

Participating libraries choose one of the six themes listed above and plan a series of reading and discussion programs taking place every two to four weeks (depending on local library preference). The library is responsible for recruiting a scholar to lead the discussion and promoting the programs to the widest possible public audience. Each of the themes includes a series of five books to be read and discussed, accompanied by a scholarly essay.

The essays, written by national project scholar Jeremy Dauber, Atran Assistant Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture at Columbia University, will introduce each theme and illuminate discussion.

What will participating libraries receive?

• A grant of $2,500. This grant may be used to send the library project director and local scholar (if the library chooses to bring the scholar) to the training session (see below), and for local scholar honorarium, program promotion, series books, and related titles. The same allowable expenses apply to repeat applicant libraries that receive the two-series $5,000 grant.
• Program materials, which include introductory literature and essays on each of the themes, selections for additional reading, and template promotional materials. Program materials will be downloadable via the program Web sites www.ala.org/publicprograms and www.nextbook.org/ala for local use and maximum distribution. Libraries will also receive 25 posters to promote the series, as well as bookmarks, and 50 program folders for participants.
• An intensive training workshop is required for library project directors (see FAQ for training requirements for repeat applicants). Local scholars are welcome. Program planning guides will be distributed at this session.
• An opportunity for all participants and project staff to share their thoughts and experiences via the program electronic discussion list.

How to Apply

Review these guidelines and download a PDF of the required application form.

Application Deadline	Grant Award	Project Director Training Sessions	Reading/Discussion Programs in Libraries	Final Reports Due
Deadline I December 1, 2006	1/07	April or May 2007* Philadelphia, PA	Tier 1: $2,500 : Summer/Fall 2007 Tier 2: $5,000: Summer/Fall 2007; Winter/Spring 2008	60 days following the completion of the last program or May 30, 2008 (whichever comes first)
Deadline II December 3, 2007	1/08	April or May 2008* San Francisco, CA	Tier 1: $2,500 : Summer/Fall 2008 Tier 2: $5,000: Summer/Fall 2008; Winter/Spring 2009	60 days following the completion of the last program or May 30, 2008 (whichever comes first)
*For exact training session dates contact the ALA Public Programs Office at publicprograms@ala.org.

Contact Information

If you require further information about Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature grants, or to receive a print version of these guidelines and an application, please contact:

Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature Grants
Public Programs Office
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611
800-545-2433, x5045
publicprograms@ala.org

Eligibility and Requirements

• Public and academic (community college, college, and university) libraries may apply.
• Libraries that have already received a grant and completed a Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature series are eligible to apply for either a single-series $2,500 grant or a two-series $5,000 grant.
• Programs must be open to the public. Academic libraries must describe in detail how they plan to attract public audiences to their programs and distribute the books. All libraries are encouraged to partner with local community organizations to promote and plan their programs.
• Eligible uses of grant funds are local scholar honorarium, travel by library project director and scholar to training workshop, books, program promotion, and program materials.
• Each library must designate a library project director responsible for all administrative project details.
• Project directors are required to attend the training workshop.
• Reading and discussion sessions must be led by a qualified scholar whose participation must be confirmed in application materials (see Review Criteria and FAQ's below).
• Required credit must be given to funders in program and publicity materials.
• Submission of three copies of completed application form, signed by library director, with all required attachments.
• Submission of two copies of a final report, including required statistics, submitted to ALA Public Programs Office no later than 60 days following the completion of the last program, or by the final report deadline.
• Libraries receiving two-series grant funds under the Round I, December 2006 deadline must complete the first series and submit an interim report in order to apply under the Round II, December 2007 deadline.

Review Criteria

• Clarity and completeness of program plan. All required information, including planned dates, times, and place where program will be held, anticipated attendance, and role of program partners, must be submitted and clearly described.
• Qualification of the project scholar. Each scholar should have a PhD in English Literature, Jewish Studies, or other related humanities subject, and a strong knowledge of Jewish literature and culture. Current or past experience should include teaching literature at a university or college. He or she should be engaging and comfortable speaking before and facilitating discussion with adult audiences. Scholar information should include name, title, and a one-page vita or bio.
• he library's vision of the program. The program plan should describe how the Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature series relates to the library's existing public programs and how the library envisions the program benefiting the community it serves (e.g., how the program will contribute to the community's cultural life).
• Quality of publicity and audience recruitment plan, including the role of program partners. The program plan should describe the role of the program partners (see FAQ's for examples of how partners participate). When possible, please include partners' letters of support with your library's application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I contact and confirm the project scholar before submitting the application?
Yes. Your application must include the name, title, and vita or bio of a confirmed project scholar in order to be considered.

Who is required to attend the training workshop?
The library project director is required to attend the training workshop corresponding to the grant deadline (see application deadline table on page 4). The library may choose to bring the project scholar to the training session as well, but his or her attendance at the training is not required.

Are repeat applicants required to attend a training workshop?
Project directors must attend the training workshop; however, required attendance by repeat project directors may be waved at the discretion of the ALA Public Programs Office.

Are special libraries such as JCC or synagogue libraries eligible to apply for this grant?
No. Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature has been designed for public and academic libraries. However, interested special libraries are encouraged to partner with their local public and/or academic libraries to assist with the program (e.g., encourage their users to participate, help publicize the program).

What qualifications will the local scholar for this project possess?
The qualified scholar should have a PhD in English Literature, Jewish Studies, or other related humanities subject; a strong knowledge of Jewish literature and culture; experience teaching literature at a university or college; and experience speaking before and facilitating discussion with adult audiences.

Is my local rabbi an appropriate scholar for this project?
Yes, as long as the rabbi has the appropriate academic credentials (see above).

May multiple scholars lead the discussions?
No. Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature is designed as a reading and discussion series facilitated by a single scholar. The intent of the single-scholar model is to nurture discussion, communication, comfortable dialogue, and a relationship between the program participants and the scholar over the five-session series.

My library already applied for a Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature grant, but was not awarded the grant. Can my library reapply?
Yes. Libraries are invited to reapply, but we strongly encourage them to contact the ALA Public Programs Office (publicprograms@ala.org) to find out why they were not awarded the grant and how to revise their application.

How long should each session last?
An hour and a half to two hours is about right. Attendees should come prepared to discuss the book. The scholar will talk for about 15Ñ25 minutes. Group discussion will last about an hour. About 30 minutes are needed for getting started, seating, wrapping up, and, if needed, taking a break.

What is the optimum size for discussion groups?
There is no magic number. You want to make this program available to the largest number of people who will make an active commitment to participate. If your group is large, you can either break into smaller groups for discussion or plan to hold the program at additional times. Asking people to sign up in advance for these programs is the best way to predict group size, as well as ensure a commitment to attendance.

May multiple project directors coordinate the series?
No. A single project director must be designated at each library site for the series.

Can this series be presented at multiple sites?
No. The program must be held at one library.

What role do project partners typically play in the Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature series?
Project partners can be invaluable resources for marketing the program, identifying and providing access to scholars, creating supplemental projects, assisting with book distribution, and providing supplemental funding.

How important are partners to this grant?
The presence of community partners indicates the library's ability to reach out to targeted audiences in the community, to generate community support and interest, and to capitalize on local resources. Partners help to paint the picture of the library's enthusiasm for the program.

Are the project deadlines "postmark" or "receipt" deadlines?
Receipt. Applications under each project deadline must be received by the ALA Public Programs Office (50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611) on or before the deadline date. Late, incomplete, faxed, or e-mailed applications will not be accepted.

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