DATE: January 7, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Raman Bath, County Librarian
SUBJECT: American Library Association Grant Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to ratify the County Librarian’s previous execution of a grant award agreement with the American Library Association, effective upon execution through June 30, 2021 ($2,000); and
2. Authorize the County Librarian, or their designee, to sign expenditure forms and activity reports for this agreement.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The County Administrative Officer reviewed and approved the grant application pursuant to Administrative Policy Number 27. The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded a grant for the Library to display the traveling “Americans and the Holocaust” exhibition for a five to six-week loan period, with shipping costs paid by ALA and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). The exhibit will be on display at the Central Library from April 1, 2021 through June 20, 2021. The grant will also provide a $2,000 allowance for exhibition-related programming costs and will cover the expenses for a librarian to attend an orientation workshop at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in January 2020 in Washington, DC. The exhibit will be on display at the Central Library; however, the impact of this item will be countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose to decline the grant award from the ALA, which will result in the Library not displaying the Americans and the Holocaust Exhibit.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The grant from the ALA will provide the shipping costs to allow the Library to display the traveling exhibition for a five- to six-week loan period, a $2,000 allowance for exhibition-related programming costs, and cover expenses for a librarian to attend an orientation workshop. There is no required match, and the grant does not require an in-kind contribution. Staff costs to administer the programs will be included in the FY 2020-21 Budget Request for Org 7511.
DISCUSSION:
The object of the ALA is to promote library service and librarianship. Its stated mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship, in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all. The USHMM inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. The Museum sponsors onsite and traveling exhibitions, educational outreach for teachers and students, and Holocaust commemorations, including the nation’s annual observance of the Days of Remembrance in the US Capitol. With support from the USHMM, the ALA Public Programs Office invited public and academic libraries to apply to host “Americans and the Holocaust,” a traveling exhibition that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. “Americans and the Holocaust” was made possible by the generous support of lead sponsors Jeannie & Jonathan Lavine, and additional major funding was provided by the Bildners, which consists of: Joan & Allen z”l Bildner, Elisa Spungen & Rob Bildner, Nancy & Jim Bildner, and Jane and Daniel Och. The Museum's exhibitions are also supported by the Lester Robbins and Sheila Johnson Robbins Traveling and Special Exhibitions Fund, established in 1990. The 1,100-square-foot traveling exhibition is based on the exhibition that opened in April 2018 at the USHMM in Washington, DC. “Americans and the Holocaust” will tour from March 2020 through March 2022. Selected libraries will host the exhibition for five to six weeks, and will also be required to implement a minimum of four public programs to accompany the exhibition during the display period. Each site will receive a programming allowance of $2,000 to support public programs related to the exhibition. Libraries are encouraged to use a portion of the funds to transport local students to see the exhibit or attend a program, if needed.
The “Americans and the Holocaust” traveling exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. It aims to motivate audiences to think critically about the history as individual citizens, as a country, and as members of a global community. Portrayals of Americans taking risks and seeking action against racism during the Holocaust will resonate strongly with Fresno’s large population of migrant and undocumented workers, immigrants, and new Americans, as well as their neighbors who are dealing with today’s social issues. In addition to a local Jewish community that spans four congregations, Fresno is home to a large Armenian community impacted by the 1915 genocide, Japanese families that survived local internment camps, Hmong refugees, Syrian refugees escaping a civil war, and migrant workers and immigrants from Mexico seeking a better life for their families. The Library hopes the hosting of the exhibit at the Central Library branch will increase awareness of the motives and fears that led up to the holocaust, and to challenge the assumptions that ordinary Americans were powerless to influence positive change. The Library’s vision of, “A place for anyone. Something for everyone,” and serving a population of nearly one million people makes it a trusted community hub that offers a safe space to engage in conversation and encourage expression of multiple viewpoints in a respectful environment.
Pursuant to Administrative Policy 27, the grant application was reviewed and approved for submission by the County Administrative Officer on August 8, 2019. The Librarian signed the Award Agreement on September 25, 2019. The second recommended action requests that your Board authorize the County Librarian, or his designee, to sign expenditure forms and activity reports for this agreement.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with ALA
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck