FREADom To Read Week

SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA) in partnership with the Utah Library Association (ULA) is promoting FREADom to Read Week (Oct 1-7th) as a parallel celebration to the American Library Association’s National Banned Book Week. The intent of FREADom to Read Week is to celebrate the Constitutional freedoms of all Utahns to access information and stories without the censorship of ideas or perspectives. UELMA and ULA, as state associations, strongly advocate for the protection of the Constitution and the First Amendment, principles that safeguard the free flow of ideas in school and public libraries and are a foundation of our democracy. Young learners and their families have First Amendment rights of speech and expression; school and public libraries offer equitable access to a wide range of age-appropriate materials and the opportunity for young learners and their families to exercise their intellectual freedoms to inquire, study, and evaluate information and stories through reading.

FREADom to Read Week celebrates the power of choice and self-selection, which allows a young learner and their family to locate and access titles that are a right fit for them. Librarians and their libraries are partners with parents and their children in providing opportunities for learning through imagination by providing access to popular fiction and for learning through information through the reading of high-interest nonfiction.

Research shows that reading is an essential academic skill, maybe even the most important, because if a young learner can read well, they can learn anything. To support the acquisition of reading competency and to foster the love of reading, a young learner needs a place to practice reading skills outside of the school classroom, just like an athlete may need a field or a gym to practice their sport. School and public libraries offer that space for young learners to practice reading under the guidance of their parents, a place where all young learners have equitable access to the information and stories that represent their family’s lived experiences and support both their academic pursuits and personal interests–school and public libraries help make young learners’ hopes and dreams come true.

Join UELMA and ULA in celebrating the FREADom to Read during the week of October 1-7, 2023.

Attached are PDFs for use in promoting FREADom to Read Week.

FREADom-to-Read-Week_UELMA_ULA_Press-Release_9_23

FREADom-to-Read-Poster

FREADom-to-Read-Bookmarks

Emerging Technology Grant – LSTA funds provided by IMLS

To apply for the 2023 Emerging Technology Grant, go to this link: https://cce.my.salesforce-sites.com/usl/ You must use your login information (or create login information) to open the USLS Grants Portal.

  • Click on Funding Opportunities at the top of the page.
  • Click on 2023 Emerging Technology (AI) Grant.

Schedule of Grant:

  • 9/11/2023 – Grant opens
  • 9/22/2023 – Grant closes
  • 9/26/2023 – Recipients notified, contracts sent
  • 10/2/2023 – Contracts due, grant spending begins
  • October 2023 – Virtual training
  • 9/30/2024 – Grant spending ends
  • 10/15/2024 – Reimbursements and final report due

Emerging Technology grants of up to $1,000 are available to public and school libraries who do not currently have subscriptions to AI tools. Ten school and ten public libraries will be selected for this grant for an annual subscription to five AI tools for patron use in the library. The types of AI tools to be purchased include a writing, sound, image, and coding tool, plus one additional tool of the library’s choice. 

Good luck!

UELMA & UCET Join Forces for 2024 Spring Conferences

We are so excited to finally announce the news about our upcoming 2024 UELMA Conference and the fact that we will be joining forces with UCET for an incredible event that is sure to change your educational experience!

Check out the event details below and a joint message from UELMA President Gretchen Zaitzeff and UCET President Matthews Winter announcing and explaining the decision to combine forces. Then read through a couple of posters with the different keynote and featured along with information about some of the different educational strands we’re looking to host for sessions. And if you’re feeling up to it, use the QR code on the final poster (or go to https://ucet.org/2024proposals) to submit a proposal to present! Proposals are being accepted until October 15th, 2023!


What: 2024 UCET/UELMA Conference

When: March 19th – 20th

Where: Salt Palace Convention Center – 90 S W Temple Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84101


2023-09-UCET24-Presidents-Message

UCET-24-Poster

UCET-24-Poster-Featured-Speakers

UCET-24-Poster-Submit-a-Proposal

Now Accepting Proposals for National Leadership Grants for Libraries, Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Programs 

Click on this link: https://www.imls.gov/grants/available/laura-bush-21st-century-librarian-program for information on a grant that will help fund training and continued professional development for library and archives specialists and initiatives that can advance practice and strengthen library and archival services.

If you have general questions, please contact imls-librarygrants@imls.gov.

Applications deadline: September 20, 2023

Grant Program Webinar: We invite you to watch a pre-application webinar to learn more about the program.

Good luck!