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CHICAGO – Through a special offering of its Inspire Collection Development Grant, made possible through the generous support of Marina “Marney” Welmers, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will offer a second round of grants to specifically address collection loss and remote access requirements due to COVID-19 school closures. The grants are intended to help meet the needs of school libraries making the return to in-person learning. Applications are due by 4:30 p.m. on March 26, 2021. Criteria, eligibility, and application requirements can be found at .

“Marney Welmers's forward-thinking commitment to school libraries have allowed AASL to pivot and respond immediately to school librarians worried about the impact of COVID-19-related school closures on student learning,” said AASL President Kathy Carroll. “This year applications launched shortly after schools opened in order to offer funding assistance to replace lost collections and expand access quickly.This second round of grants will continue the learning and provide normalcy for more students around the country. I want to thank Marney for her continuing generosity.”

In the fall, seven school libraries from across the country were awarded the first round of Inspire COVID Recovery Grants. The recipients include:

• DeAnna Arnold, Wheeler Attendance Center. Booneville, Mississippi
• Rebecca Caufman, Radford High School, Radford, Virginia
• Ginger Cowart, Natchez High School, Natchez, Mississippi
• Marissa Deku, Lewiston High School, Lewiston, Maine
• Alice Lang, South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Marie Southwell, Graphic Arts Campus Library, New York, New York
• Emily Wilson, West Port High School, Ocala, Florida

The American Association of School Librarians, , a division of the 91��ý (91��ý), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.