You are here

Read Africa: Grants available to enrich your collections with a new perspective

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

 

By Aleia Ingulli McCord

The African Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is pleased to offer public libraries throughout Wisconsin the opportunity to enrich their collections with new titles through their Read Africa program. Public libraries across the state are invited to submit proposals to purchase books and materials that will enable Wisconsin readers to deepen their understanding of Africa.

The African Studies Program offers two curated lists for Wisconsin librarians to browse. The first, the African Books List, is curated by Ainehi Edoro-Glines (Assistant Professor of English and African Cultural Studies) and Vincent Ogoti (Ph.D. candidate, African Cultural Studies). Edoro writes of the selections:

“African literature has never been more vibrant. It has had an expanded global influence in the last 20 years. Writers are exploring storytelling in all its diversity and representing the continent’s cultures and experiences. There is a rise in creative non-fiction and exciting genres like science fiction, crime thriller, comic, YA, and children’s books. While the 150+ books listed in this collection are by no means exhaustive, they capture this wealth of creative expression. We want to celebrate the new voices capturing the beauty and complexities of the contemporary African experience.”

The second list comprises winners of the Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA). Since 1991, Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association, in partnership with the Center for African Studies at Howard University, have presented this annual award to authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books about Africa in an effort to promote accurate, balanced perspectives about the continent.

Looking for more ways to bring Africa into your community? The University of Wisconsin-Madison is home to one of the nation’s first and finest African Studies Programs in the nation. The African Studies Program is inspired and guided by the Wisconsin Idea to share the expertise, talents, and scholarship of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to promote the study of Africa in schools and communities across Wisconsin. We offer a range of complimentary outreach programs and personalized support to help communities expand their understanding of the lives, lands, and languages of Africa. We invite you to take advantage of this local, global-resource.

Apply for the READ AFRICA program>>>

Learn about our Outreach Programs>>

Contact our Outreach Coordinator: outreach@africa.wisc.edu

The African Studies Program’s Read Africa program is supported with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI. National Resource Center program, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Library Services team.

Aleia Ingulli McCord, Ph.D., Associate Director, African Studies Program

University of Wisconsin-Madison, 608.262.4461, aleia.mccord@wisc.edu, africa.wisc.edu

Posted by Cindy Fesemyer, who adds: Here’s a list of all known and active grant opportunities available to Wisconsin libraries these days. Please let me know if you have more opportunities to add.

Tags

 

WI Libraries for Everyone

Stay informed on our latest news!