Recipient: Hall of Health
Location: Berkeley, CA
Grant: 2003 Learning Opportunities Grant

The Challenge: Pre-teens and teenagers are subjected to advertising, peer pressure, and other outside forces that influence their concepts of body image. Made possible through IMLS funding, a new field trip program of the Hall of Health educates 10- to 14-year-olds about body image, the consequences of being over- or under-weight, and making healthy food choices. Learn more

Last month I had the rewarding experience of attending the American Library Association’s annual conference in New Orleans. The conference was a great success, and I was grateful for the opportunity to see the progress being made in the Gulf Coast, particularly by the libraries there. I was particularly moved by the outpouring of support from volunteers.

The ALA conference was terrific and a real opportunity to shine a light on the work of libraries in good times and bad. At a press conference with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund I announced that IMLS will devote $1 million to supporting employees and interns at temporary library facilities. I also had the privilege of appearing with First Lady Laura Bush at a forum she held on school libraries, at which she announced the nearly $21 million in Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grants we awarded last month.

But what I will remember most from the conference was the opportunity I had to join hundreds of volunteers who worked on community projects and library rebuilding efforts in the area. I was honored to play a small role in the “extreme makeover” of the New Orleans Public Library’s Children’s Resource Center. In just five days, the 1,600-square-foot library was completely refurnished, greatly improving its value to the New Orleans community.

It was heartwarming to see so many people donating their time and effort to helping libraries in their time of need.

Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director, IMLS

“Federal Grant Opportunities from the Institute of Museum and Library Services” (panel program), Christopher J. Reich (Chair), IMLS Senior Program Officer, and Twinet G. Kimbrough (panel participant), IMLS Program Specialist, Association of African American Museums 2006 Annual Conference, St. Louis, MO, 8/24.

“Collaboration and Coalition Building” (panel program), George Smith (moderator), IMLS Associate Deputy Director for State Programs, Sustaining State Library Agencies in the 21st Century: A COSLA Executive Leadership Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies, Madison, WI, 7/23-27.

“State Librarians on Best Practices/Survival Skills” (panel program), Mary L. Chute (presenter), IMLS Deputy Director for Library Services, Sustaining State Library Agencies in the 21st Century: A COSLA Executive Leadership Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies, Madison, WI, 7/26.

"Choosing Content in Context: an IMLS Perspective" Martha Crawley, PhD. (presenter), IMLS Senior Program Officer, 2006 Joint Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the National Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA), and the Council of State Archivists (COSA), Washington, DC, 8/5.

"Neighboring with the Federal Government" (panel program), Marsha L. Semmel (panel participant), IMLS Deputy Director for Museums and Director for Strategic Partnerships, Philanthropy Northwest 2006 Annual Conference, Big Sky, MT, 9/14.