91´«Ã½

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Strengthening Communities Through Libraries minigrants. These grants are made possible by a Youth Literacy grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The 12 minigrant recipients will each receive $5,000 to provide opportunities for STEAM learning during out-of-school time to children in their communities.

CHICAGO The libraries range in size and location and represent ALSC members from 11 different states. ALSC members from the following libraries were selected to receive a Strengthening Communities Through Libraries minigrant from ALSC: Aldrich Public Library (Vermont), Batesville Public Library (Mississippi), Camden Public Library (North Carolina), Champaign Public Library (Illinois), Dallas Public Library (Texas), Kenosha Public Library (Wisconsin), Live Oak Public Libraries (Georgia), Marion Public Library (Iowa), Martin Memorial Library (North Carolina), Springfield-Greene County Library District (Missouri), Winfield Public Library (Kansas), and Woodland Public Library (California).

“Libraries have always provided programs and resources that spark interests for children to explore, said ALSC Vice-President/President-elect Nina Lindsay. “Now, more than ever, our young people need a space to experiment with new learning in a place that allows them to go at their own pace and follow their interests as deeply as they wish. ALSC is grateful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for giving us the opportunity to support librarians who are creating this type of environment in their communities, so the information children learn in school can be supplemented with experiences focused in STEAM areas after school and during breaks.”

For more information about the Strengthening Communities Through Libraries minigrant, please visit . Throughout the grant cycle, ALSC will also make downloadable resources available to help libraries develop similar out-of-school time programs.

About ALSC

is the world's largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. ALSC's network includes more than 4,000 children's and youth librarians, children's literature experts, publishers, education and library school faculty members, and other adults dedicated to creating a better future for children through libraries.

About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $97 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 5.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit .

About Dollar General Corporation

Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for over 75 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations. With more than 11,700 stores in 43 states, Dollar General has more retail locations than any retailer in America. In addition to high quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg's, General Mills, and PepsiCo. For more information on Dollar General, please visit .