New Initiatives Grant
CLRC’s New Initiatives Grants have come to an end but we’ll be replacing them with a new grant coming Fall 2023!
Have questions regarding previous grants or what’s to come moving forward? Contact Rebecca Kluberdanz Honsinger at rhonsinger@clrc.org.
The goal of New Initiatives grants was to help break down barriers, imagine the impossible, and foster creativity. We funded ideas that sought new ways to tackle problems, face challenges, or fulfill needs in libraries. Check our winners below!
- 2023 Grant Recipients
- 2022 Grant Recipients
- 2021 Grant Recipients
- 2020 Grant Recipients
- 2019 Grant Recipients
- 2018 Grant Recipients
Jenna Ballard, Chittenango Middle School
Book Nook Boxes
A sixth grade ELA class will create personalized book subscription boxes for students in a fifth grade ELA class.
Michelle Calupca (Kristen Neri), Manlius Library
Manlius Library Care Kits
Manlius Library staff will develop community-oriented programs and resources for underserved populations, such as the elderly and individuals with low-vision. They will create a low-vision kit and three levels of memory kits for those with dementia, and their caregivers, that will both circulate and be used during librarian outreach visits to senior residences, day programs, and senior centers.
Claire Ehrlich, Mohawk Valley Community College
Multilingual Bestseller Collection
Mohawk Valley Community College’s Utica campus library will extend its popular leisure reading collection to include the most widely-spoken non-English languages on campus.
Amanda DuBose, Syracuse University
A Pop-Up Collection at the Syracuse Stage
This project will provide a point of access for an underserved segment of the student/staff/faculty population by bringing library resources to them.
Shauna Modrow, Onondaga County Public Library
Teen Book Box
Hazard branch library will create a monthly “Teen Book Box” service that will offer a tailored “subscription”-like literary-themed book box for teen library patrons across the city.
Margaret Martin, Soule Branch Library
Soule Branch Library SEL Manga/Anime Afterschool Program
Soule Branch Library, located directly across the street from HW Smith preK-8 School, proposes a weekly social emotional learning (SEL) tween manga/anime afterschool program for the 2022/23 school year, augmented by a specially curated manga collection with a focus on youth mental health.
Darcy Barber, Liverpool Central School District
Dynamic Elementary Library Shelving
This project will create dynamic elementary library shelving which will empower our K-2 readers to independently and successfully browse for, and locate books of interest to them.
Aneisa Linton, Westhill Central School District
Westhill Libraries Summer Book Bonanza!
This project will provide books free of charge that children may keep as their own. The promotion of reading coupled with access to free books will encourage children to read more over the summer months and combat summer learning loss.
Heather Leahey, Willow Field Elementary School
Full STEAM Ahead at WFE Library
The library is preparing to become better suited for K-2 students and will begin to incorporate more STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in the library.
Lindsey Cesari, Baldwinsville Central School District
Making for Mental Health
The librarian and school counseling staff (guidance counselors, school psychologists, and social workers) will collaborate to help students create mental health tools (like an origami worry box or stress balls) and then learn how to use them.
Jackie Alex, Bolivar Road Elementary – Chittenango Central Schools
Sunshine Days
The school librarian will work with a team of teachers to deliver Social Emotional, Character Education, Culturally Responsive, and Mindfulness Lessons to the students in our Pre-K -Grade 4 school.
Alyssa Ali, Maxwell Memorial Library
Sensory Garden
The library’s side yard will be transformed into an attractive, accessible, safe space for young children and their caregivers, to explore on their own or as part of library programming, a sensory nature-oriented experience.
Jen Tolley, Northern Onondaga Public Library
Homebound Delivery Tablets
Outreach staff at the Northern Onondaga Public Library seeks to make it possible for patrons enrolled in our Homebound Delivery program to enjoy digital materials by beginning to loan out tablets with pre-downloaded items.
Jennine Bloomquist, Camden Middle School
Biking by the Book
An irresistible combination, this program focuses on combining the stress-reducing activities of exercising and reading for maximum results.
Pauline Shostack, Onondaga Community College
Scalable Makerspace Fan Creation Station
This proposal will allow OCC to create a three-tiered USB powered personal fan makerspace creation station. Students will have the opportunity to learn basic mechanical assembly, electrical wiring, 3D printing, and more.
Maggie Gall-Maynard & Alyssa Newton, Onondaga Free Library – Karen Fenner & Karin Backus, Westhill Central School District
On the Trail: From New York to Nome
The Onondaga Free Library, in partnership with Westhill Central School District, will present an innovative month-long learning opportunity around the theme of the Iditarod. The learning activities will include access to GPS monitoring of the 2020 race, opportunities to use virtual and augmented reality, and a presentation by Iditarod racer, Karen Land, and one of her sled dogs, Noggin.
Tatiana Sahm, Onondaga County Public Library
Nature Backpacks for Libraries
Nature Backpacks for Libraries are circulating kits in a backpack, which include items such as binoculars, magnifying glasses, and short format, engaging reading material about local flora and fauna. Nature Backpacks will boost STEM learning and encourage scientific curiosity.
Erin Cassidy, Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville
Art in Conversation: Jacob Lawrence & James Baldwin
Art in Conversation: Jacob Lawrence & James Baldwin is a project designed by the Everson Museum of Art and the Community Library of DeWitt & Jamesville to address socially relevant topics and provide an opportunity to spark community dialogue.
Anne Nassar, Little Falls Public Library
Paint Your Masterpiece
The program would supply participants with everything patrons need to paint a picture: canvas, paint, a brush, and an art teacher (via Zoom). Then, Little Falls Public Library will host an art show in our gallery.
Jennifer McDonald, LaFayette School District
Little Embedded Libraries
This project will build little libraries and install them throughout the school district at historical sites and important institutions. The little libraries will be “library boxes” transmitting wifi signals that connect to any wifi capable device to provide digital content created by school students.
Julia Schult, Baldwinsville Public Library
Baldwinsville Library VR Tour Kit
Baldwinsville Public Library will create a “VR Tour Kit” which can be circulated to schools, businesses, clubs, and nonprofit organizations in our area. The kit would contain everything needed to create an online 360-degree tour of physical space they would like to share with people online.
Joellyn Murry, Liverpool Public Library
School Story Walks
Liverpool Public Library would like to partner with Liverpool School Librarians to provide story walks at each of them elementary schools. They will provide each school with a new story every week from April until the end of the school year.
Megan Gillander, Oneida Public Library
OPaL’s News Network
Oneida Public Library would like to provide the education, equipment, and technical assistance for area youth to record, edit, and share their own news stories via OPaL’s News Network, a library YouTube channel.
Carol Johnson, Mundy Branch Library
STARLAB Roving Planetarium Visits Syracuse City Libraries
STARLAB roving planetarium will visit Syracuse city libraries in support of the 2019 summer reading program theme, “Universe of Stories.” The planetarium presentation will enhance STEM learning, encourage scientific curiousity among urban youth, and engage children.
Nickie Marquis, Skaneateles Library
Explore the World Kits
These kits will spark a child’s curiousity in the people and places around the world using aspects of reading, geography, and play.
Mary Klucznik, Chittenango High School
New Media: The Silent Generation
“The Silent Generation” will create a podcasting studio in the Chittenango High School library designed for students enrolled in the New Media course and accessibile to all Chittenango high school students.
Karen Fenner, Westhill High School
Expeditions for Everyone
Google Expeditions kits will provide students with virtual trips that can pair with teacher curriculum. In partnership with Onondaga Free Public Library, kits will be available for programming and activities during the summer months or for special events during the school year.
Nicole Hershberger, Northern Onondaga Public Library at Cicero
Community Playdate: An Anji Play-based Outreach Pilot
Based on the practices and philosophy of “Anji Play,” this partnership with the Town of Clay Department of Recreation will provide opportunities for children to experience self-determined, free, and open-ended play. Libraries provide information to parents about how to read, sing, talk, and the means for play but not the modeling. This pilot will test this Anji Play approach in a library sponsored community based setting.
Sue LeBlanc, Madison-Oneida BOCES
From School to Public: Providing a Bridge for Student & Family Use of Public Library
This program aids to leverage school librarian-student relationships to promote public library use and combat “summer slide.” School librarians will collaborate with local public librarians to be involved with summer public library programming.
Jake Hare, Liverpool Public Library
Virtual Traveling
VR hardware can be used to provide patrons of existing programs with a richer, more engaging multimedia experience. Programs that are already popular can use it to enhance the experience of attendees and new outreach programs can take the materials out of the library building to expand patron services.
Doreen Bergman, OCM BOCES
Celebrating Diverse Readers!
To meet the needs of a growing English as New Language population the grant will help create a dual language library. Mini-collections of these picture books will be shared with students and their parents throughout the region.
Joshua Finnell, Colgate University
Data Analysis & Collaboration Network
This project aims to create a consortium of “isolated statisticians and data librarians” across the State of New York for faculty and students at smaller universities and colleges.
April Bliss, Dunham Public Library
Stop Motion Publicity Videos
Library teens will create videos to express their appreciation for the library providing a safe place and supportive staff so they can continue to learn and grow by exploring innovative technologies.
Elizabeth Hartnett & Janice Murray, Oneida/Herkimer BOCES
Engineering in a Novel Way
This project will create sets of lessons and supporting materials that combine ideas of Novel Engineering and Information Literacy for K-6 grade levels. Teacher Librarians will create kits that support these lessons to circulate to area schools to support STEAM and Information literacy.