Please spread the word. If you have good titles in Spanish, we want to know. We want to support programming in multiple languages. Would really love your input. Help Us Build a Better Book to Action – Opportunity for 2021 Library staff members – Are you interested in participating in the 2021 Book to Action initiative? The Book to Action 2021 initiative represents a unique opportunity for a collaborative, statewide theme / read open to 100 participating libraries and communities. We want to know what themes and titles are of interest. Social Justice, Sustainability, Equity, Resilience, Mental Health – what titles will help communities build empathy, connection, and understanding, what community partners will help connect to these issues, and what topics are relevant to your community? Your input and community needs can help shape the focus of Book to Action 2021. If you are interested in potentially participating in and collaborating on creating a better, bigger Book to Action 2021, please read the information below and complete the survey at https://forms.gle/DfQAbKchcbYhiWrLA <https://forms.gle/DfQAbKchcbYhiWrLA>. The planning survey will close September 8, 2020. California Center for the Book Fiscal Year 2020 / 2021 Focus From August 2020 through August 2021, California Center for the Book will focus on combining lessons learned from our past Book to Action, Community Conversations with Veterans, Mental Health Initiative, and Rural Libraries Tour writing workshops into a single, concentrated effort that will reach 100 California libraries with the Book to Action community engagement initiative. We will continue to focus on strong community partnerships, intentional programming for adults and intergenerational groups, and library community collaboration. With the opportunity to focus Book to Action initiatives on a central theme (or themes), we can harness the power of combined efforts to create a more impactful statewide opportunity, while also connecting to local community partners. The Book to Action 2021 initiative will be bigger, stronger, and better – with your help and input. Book to Action 2021 Overview The Book to Action initiative invites library staff to engage with community partners to create a series of events for adults and intergenerational groups. Book to Action initiatives tackle important issues in the community and encourage reading, community discussion, and action through various volunteer and engagement opportunities. Participating libraries collaboratively create virtual and in-person (TBD in 2021) programming aimed at reaching and connecting adults and intergenerational groups. Book to Action 2021 will provide staff development opportunities, programming support, and an opportunity for statewide public programming to occur between March – August 2021, with staff development and toolkit building occurring October 2020 – February 2021 in preparation. The Book to Action 2021 initiative is based on library staff and community input, collaboration with other state-wide projects, and ongoing evaluation and reflection. Learn more about the history of Book to Action including past programs. The Book to Action Toolkit is under development and will be updated throughout the grant period. We are looking forward to connecting communities, partners, and library staff across California with the Read, Discuss, Act model. Participating libraries will receive: ~$1,000 worth of books (both print and Overdrive ebooks and/or digital audiobooks supported) to distribute to community members as part of the Book to Action initiative ~Speaker/author/moderator support ranging from $500 – $1,000 per participating library ~Speaker/author/moderator/partner collaborative statewide virtual events coordinated by California Center for the Book and participating libraries Participating staff agree to: ~Collaborate with at least one community partner ~Actively participate in staff development, toolkit development, communication, and reflection opportunities ~Complete program requirements outlined in the timeline below ~Plan a Book to Action series that encourages lifelong learning, connection, and volunteerism/community engagement among adults and intergenerational groups Please note: No funds are distributed to participating libraries. All books, speaker fees, and travel reimbursements are grant-funded and paid directly by California Library Association. Who Should Participate in Book to Action 2021 California library staff members who value community engagement and community partnerships are encouraged to apply. Each branch or system applying should select one Program Coordinator who will serve as the main point of contact. In addition to the Program Coordinator, each library may select an internal team of up to 4 participating staff members (5 total), who will also have access to the live webinars and Slack community. This opportunity is available for up to 100 California libraries. Academic and special libraries are encouraged to apply if they will work with a public library as one of their main partners. More Information Please visit https://calbook.org/programs/book-to-action-2021/ <https://calbook.org/programs/book-to-action-2021/> for more information. We are updating the Book to Action page and toolkit frequently and we invite to you take advantage of the upcoming collaboration and discussion opportunities. Dates for the Book to Action 2021 Open Discussions are: Wednesday, September 9 @ 1 PM (Sign up coming soon) Wednesday, September 16 @ 1 PM (Sign up coming soon) Be sure to complete the Book to Action 2021 planning survey at https://forms.gle/DfQAbKchcbYhiWrLA <https://forms.gle/DfQAbKchcbYhiWrLA> by September 8, 2020. Full post at: https://calbook.org/2020/08/11/help-us-build-a-better-book-to-action/ <https://calbook.org/2020/08/11/help-us-build-a-better-book-to-action/> -- Julianna Robbins Program Manager California Center for the Book California Library Association jrobbins@calbook.org <mailto:jrobbins@calbook.org> http://calbook.org <http://calbook.org/> Facebook & Instagram: @CaliforniaCenterfortheBook Slack: cacenterforthebook.slack.com <http://cacenterforthebook.slack.com/> Mobile: 562-277-8168 <tel:(562)%20277-8168> California Center for the Book is a program of the California Library Association <http://www.cla-net.org/>, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services <http://www.imls.gov/> under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian <http://www.library.ca.gov/>.