The Immroth Award honors intellectual freedom fighters in and outside the library profession who have demonstrated remarkable personal courage in resisting censorship. The award consists of $500 and a citation. Individuals, groups of individuals and organizations are eligible for the award.

The John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award is sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) of the American Library Association (ALA). Past recipients include Jarrett Dapier and Pam Klipsch.

NEA Big Read is accepting applications from non-profit organizations to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2017 and June 2018. NEA Big Read is a national program that broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.

A Big Read is a month-long series of programs centered around one NEA Big Read book. Programs should include a kickoff, a keynote, book discussions, and other artistic events to foster engagement with the selected title and encourage reading.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Library Service to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers Committee are now accepting online applications for the 2017 Light the Way: Library Outreach to the Underserved grant. This $3,000 grant, made possible by Candlewick Press in honor of Newbery Medalist and Geisel Honoree author Kate DiCamillo, will go to a library conducting exemplary outreach to underserved populations through a new program or an expansion of work already being done.

The American Library Association (ALA) is accepting nominations for the second-annual Newlen-Symons Award for Excellence in Serving the GLBT Community.

Given since 2016, the Newlen-Symons Award honors recent library initiatives that demonstrate excellence in library services to or for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community.

The American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) is seeking nominations for its second-annual Political Activism Award.

Given since 2016, the award honors librarians, library related organizations (including libraries, library staff, library boards, library friends) and other individuals or groups (public or private) that have demonstrated excellence in the area of GLBT activism.

The American Library Association (ALA) is accepting nominations for the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award is named for award-winning children’s author Virginia Hamilton (1936-2002), recipient of the 1983, 1986 and 1996 Coretta Scott King Book Award, 1974 National Book Award and the 1975 John Newbery Medal. In 1994, she was awarded the prestigious Hans Christian Anderson Author Award for the body of her work and was named a fellow of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1995.

The American Library Association (ALA) Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) and Government Documents Round Table (GODORT) is seeking nominations for the inaugural Larry Romans Mentorship Award.

Named for Larry Romans (1947-2016), Head of Government Information and Media Services at Vanderbilt University’s Library from 1983 to 2014, the award recognizes librarians who, through their sustained mentoring efforts, have made a difference in the library profession.

ALA and EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) are partnering to offer five scholarships for librarians to attend the 2017 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta. The scholarship allows more librarians to take advantage of the opportunities for continuing education, meetings and interactions with colleagues at the meeting, which will take place from Jan. 20 – 24, 2017.

The Ameren Illinois Non-Residential Hardship Program provides one-time assistance to non-profit organizations that have an active Ameren Illinois electric account and a hardship.

Applications are reviewed for program eligibility by the Energy Assistance Foundation, an independent non-profit organization that serves as program administrator. Qualifying customers will receive assistance in the form of a one-time grant applied to their organization’s Ameren Illinois electric account.