New Initiatives Grant
CLRC’s New Initiatives Grant seeks to help you do something exciting and new in your library!
Have a project you want to pilot? Thinking of an innovative program or service you’d like to offer? Our goal is to help you break down barriers, imagine the impossible, and foster your creativity. We’re looking for ideas that seek new ways to tackle problems, face challenges, or fulfill needs in libraries
Check out the eligibility criteria, other requirements below, and previous winners below. We encourage you to run ideas by CLRC staff prior to submission. Have more questions? Contact Rebecca Kluberdanz Honsinger at rhonsinger@clrc.org.
Your New Initiatives Grant proposal will be stronger if your project meets one or more of these criteria:
- Can be replicated by others
- Encourages non-library partners
- Encourages risk-taking and experimentation
- Takes practices/ideas from other industries and applies them to libraries
- Not funded through traditional means
New Initiatives Grant recipients will be expected to present either a talk or poster at CLRC’s Annual Conference in the fall.
*The inspiration for this grant is RRLC’s BreakThru Grant.
- Any library (including individual school and public libraries) or library system that is a member of CLRC is eligible. View our member directory here.
- The library/library system applying for the grant must not have received the New Initiatives Grant from CLRC within the past year.
Grants will be awarded in amounts no less than $300 and no more than $2,000, as funds allow.
2022 deadlines for proposals are quarterly as follows:
- Thursday, March 31
- Thursday, June 30
- Friday, September 30
- Saturday, December 31
One year from the date of receipt of funds. Extensions may be given if a progress report and reason for the extension is explained in advance of the one-year deadline.
None required.
Funded projects must complete a final report and will be asked to present a talk and/or poster at CLRC’s Annual Meeting following completion of the project.
- 2022 Grant Recipients
- 2021 Grant Recipients
- 2020 Grant Recipients
- 2019 Grant Recipients
- 2018 Grant Recipients
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.
Elizabeth Carroll, Westmoreland Road Elementary School
Read and Ride Club
This project will create a school club called the Read and Ride club. The club will read books, check out library books, and ride bikes together.
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.
Elisha Davies, Cazenovia Public Library
CA-Z Art Walk
The Library will collaborate with local CazArts member artists to illustrate a series of 26 alphabet panels, each with a letter-inspired place/event/structure that highlights what makes Cazenovia unique.
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.