Penguin Random House and the Association for Rural and Small Libraries Launch New Grant Program Penguin Random House and The Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) today announced a rolling grant program to recognize rural, small and tribal libraries that support underserved communities in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The program will award grants of up to $2,500 to libraries that demonstrate a true need. Grants are not limited to literacy and may be used for everything from library programming and books to resources like hotspots that help community members access important information. In-kind donations will also be considered. Kate Laughlin, Executive Director, The Association for Rural & Small Libraries said, "Our nation's small and rural libraries already faced so many challenges pre-pandemic. Those challenges have only become more urgent during the past year and a half. ARSL cannot thank Penguin Random House enough for recognizing the essential place our libraries hold in our communities, and stepping up to show real, practical support." "The past couple years have been incredibly challenging for everyone, and we know rural areas have been especially hard-hit," said Skip Dye, Senior Vice President of Sales Operations and Library Sales, Penguin Random House. "In these communities, libraries have been lifelines in countless ways, from serving as trusted sources for reliable information to providing access to important services and resources. We are honored to partner with ARSL to help elevate their impact." Penguin Random House and ARSL have worked together to ensure the application process is simple and straightforward to remove as many barriers to applying for a grant as possible. For the award application and more information about the program, please visit the info page: https://www.arsl.org/prh-grant<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.arsl.org%2Fprh-grant&data=04%7C01%7CWhiteS29%40michigan.gov%7C5dbcf02cf7ae4cdc80e808d998804543%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637708498940897031%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=MV7zf%2BcdLmib8yRWezOvoLh3ChNmTe4NMBoN55hjbG8%3D&reserved=0>.