ALISE Community conn@CT Mini-Grants

Background

The ALISE Community conn@CT began as a space at the 2015 ALISE Conference and centennial celebration, for ALISE members to connect with social justice organizations and each other to create and innovate solutions to advance their mission. The idea arose out of brainstorming and initial development by Kendra Albright, Clara M. Chu, Nicole Cooke, Bharat Mehra, Gwendolyn Prellwitz, and Tonyia J. Tidline. Rae-­Anne Montague, then, organized and moderated the ALISE Community conn@CT conference session that included the participation of the following four Chicago community organizations:

A competitive mini-­grant program was designed to advance the ALISE Community conn@CT initiative. The ALISE Community conn@CT mini-grants ($750) support ALISE members to address a library and information need of a social justice organization through community engagement (in a collaborative manner).

2024 Sponsor

Interested in sponsoring the ALISE Community conn@CT Mini-Grants? The 2024 Prospectus is coming soon!

 

Submission Requirements 

ALISE members are invited to submit a proposal that will use a community-engaged approach to address a library and information need of a social justice organization. The proposed project may be focused on research, teaching (service learning), and/or practice/application (e.g., resource development, training, program, etc.).

Each application should be submitted as a PDF with the following information:

  • Applicant(s), including name(s), title(s), affiliation(s), email(s), and phone number(s)

  • Project narrative (no more than two double-spaced pages):

    • Social justice topic(s), objective(s), steps to be taken, implications, and project impact

  • Budget and budget justification (no more than one double-spaced page)

  • Social justice organization collaboration letter

Submission Process

All submissions must be completed through the ALISE 2024 submission system

*First-time users will be required to create an account (separate from your www.alise.org account). Once created, return to the ALISE '24 submission page to log in. Once logged in, select 'Enter as an author'. Select the relevant track for your submission, ensuring you review all requirements prior to completing your submission.

Submission Deadline

March 25, 2024

Selection Criteria

The ALISE Community conn@CT Mini-grants provide funding to support ALISE members to connect with social justice organizations and each other to create and innovate information solutions to advance their mission or address an information need. The solution may be in the form of LIS research, teaching and/or practice. The criteria used in selecting mini-grant winners are:

  1. Relevance of project to mini-­grant program
  2. Scope or extent of community engagement
  3. Significance of project to an organization or organizations doing social justice work
  4. Impact on practice, teaching, and/or research
  5. Potential for serving as a model for progressive community action in LIS

Mini-Grant Recipient Requirement

Mini-grant recipients are expected to present their project at a webinar and submit a final report. They are encouraged to attend the 2023 ALISE Conference to receive the award and present their project in a poster presentation at the 2024 ALISE Conference. All costs of conference registration and travel will be the responsibility of the grant recipients. 

Chair

Michele Villagran, San Jose State University

Members

Xiaofeng Li, Clarion University
Jinxuan Ma, Emporia State University
Qurat UI Ain Saleem, University of the Punjab

Board Liaison

Daniella Smith, University of North Texas, Director, Membership

Past Recipients

2023

  • Ulia Gosart, San Jose State University

2022

  • No recipient selected

2021

  • Travis Wagner and Vanessa Kitzie, University of South Carolina: Creating Sustainable Digital Spaces for Sharing Health Information with South Carolina Transgender and Non-binary Communities

2020

  • Michele Villagran, San Jose State University; Ana Ndumu, University of Maryland, College Park; Reforma Education Committee: Integrating Immigrants into the LIS Workforce: A Pilot, Collaborative Project

2019

  • Joseph Winberry, University of Tennessee: We Serve All Seniors: Creating Information Resources for Diverse Older Adults in Community Context
  • Noah Lenstra, University of North Carolina, Greensboro: Creating Bike-friendly Public Libraries

2018

  • Christine Angel, St. John’s University: Creating Access to Archival Documents for Immigration Policy Reform: A Project of Original Legislative History from the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and International Law for the (Re)construction of Immigration Policy within the United States Community Institution: The Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS-NY)
  • Karen Gavigan, University of South Carolina: Creating an Anti-Gang Graphic Novel – Social Justice from Behind the Fence Community Institution: South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (SCDJJ)
  • Joyce M. Latham, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Milo Miller & Christopher Wilde, Co-founders, Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP), Milwaukee, WI: The Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP) Community Institution: The Queer Zine Archive Project (QZAP)