<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 2rem; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.25; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); padding: 0px 0px 9px">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Libraries Lead with Digital Skills - Get funding, training, and tools to help your community grow their skills, career, or business</span></h1>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17)">
<section style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0rem 0rem 1.5rem"><article style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px">
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; font-size: 1.4rem; line-height: 1.5; color: rgb(51, 51, 51)">
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0rem; color: rgb(34, 34, 34)"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Libraries Lead with Digital Skills is an initiative of ALA and PLA, sponsored by Google, to ensure that public libraries across
the nation receive ongoing access to free tools and resources to help everyone across America grow their skills, careers, and businesses.</span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article></section></div>
</div>
<div style="">
<h2 style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.778rem; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0.5rem 0rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Applications accepted through July 22</span></h2>
<h2 style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1.778rem; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0.5rem 0rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; line-height: normal;">Tell us how your library is assisting job seekers and empowering small business owners with digital skills!</span></h2>
<p style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0rem; line-height: 1.5; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">Select one of the Grow with Google</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px"><a href="https://grow.google/" target="_blank" title="Grow with Google (opens in new window/tab)" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(28, 62, 148); margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">resources</span></a></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">to
integrate into a new or existing workshop, class, event, etc. and submit your idea via our simple application. Accepted libraries receive:</span></p>
<ul style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1rem 0rem; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4.8rem; line-height: 1.75; list-style: disc; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;">Funding</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">–
$1,000 with minimal application and reporting requirements, with the opportunity to receive an additional $3,000 bonus if your program is selected for a Spotlight Award (</span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px"><a href="http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/google/howto" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(28, 62, 148); margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">view
more details</span></a></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">).</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;">Marketing support</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">– ALA
and Google can help get the word out about your program with social media guidance, marketing assets, and more.</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;">Technical guidance</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">–
Have questions about curriculum resources or programs? Ask Google! Need some best practices in library programming? PLA is here to help!</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;">A community of practice</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">–
Troubleshoot challenges and share ideas with other libraries that receive funding alongside ALA, PLA, and Google.</span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; line-height: normal;">Advocacy tools</strong></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal;">–
Use our impact evaluation tools and advocacy resources to create and sustain the digital skills plan for your community.</span></li></ul>
<div style=""><font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Find details and links to the application for Michigan libraries on this web page </span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/google" style="margin: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255)">http://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/google</a></span></span></span></font></div>
<div style=""><font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br>
</span></span></font></div>
<div style=""><font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br>
</span></span></font></div>
<div style=""><font color="#333333" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Shannon White</span></span></font></div>
</div>
</body>
</html>