May 8, 2019
The American Indian Library Association (AILA) is pleased to award a 2019 Talk Story grant to each of the following libraries to host Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture programming. The winning libraries are:
Santa Clarita Public Library, California — Partnering with the Tataviam Tribe, the Santa Clarita Public Library will create Indigenous Storytime Kits which will circulate within the library system and the two Tataviam tribal offices in San Fernando and Palmdale. The story kits will target pre-k to 4th grade and help represent accurate representations of the Tataviam history and culture. A special event will be held in November to launch the finished kits and will consist of storytelling, craft, dance and music shared by members of the Tataviam Tribe.
S. Verna Fowler Academic Library/Menominee Public Library, Wisconsin — Building upon an existing literacy program called Family Supper Book Club, the library will launch a program focusing on language and culture to support ongoing learning for parents and caregivers. There will be three events, each one featuring a book choice from the American Indian Library Association bibliography. The grant funds will also be used to develop a Menominee Talking Language Center at the entrance of the YA section of the library. The Talking Language Center will be a mural designed by a local artist that has interactive devices that play words and phrases in the Menominee language.
Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture is a literacy program that reaches out to Asian Pacific American (APA) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families. The program celebrates and explores their stories through books, oral traditions, and art to provide an interactive, enriching experience. Grants provide financial support to libraries and community organizations who want to introduce a Talk Story program into their library.
Talk Story: Sharing stories, sharing culture is a joint project between the American Indian Library Association (www.ailanet.org) and the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (www.apalaweb.org). It started as part of ALA 2009-2010 President Camila Alire’s Family Literacy Focus Initiative. 2019 is the tenth year that AILA and APALA have partnered on the Talk Story project and allocated grant funding to libraries to implement programs geared towards the APA/AIAN communities.Talk Story grant funding is due to the generous support of the the American Indian Library Association for AILA Talk Story grants.