Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians

Gerding, Stephanie K., and Pamela H. MacKellar. Grants for Libraries: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2006. isbn 1-55570-535-9, 025.11 Gerdi

The authors of this book take the reader through every phase of the grant-writing cycle, offering details, examples, and relevant tools. Dividing the process into 10 steps, each covered in a separate chapter, the book offers practical advice and easy-to-follow suggestions appropriate for every type of library. Highlights include a detailed strategic planning procedure, a process for selecting the right grant, writing the RFP and parts of a typical grant application, and implementing the project once it is funded (many manuals stop with the application process). There is a section of two-page spreads featuring real success stories. The accompanying CD-ROM contains these success stories and all of the book's checklists, worksheets, and templates, which can be downloaded and adapted to a specific situation. The glossary, bibliography, and index enhance its usefulness. This book should be at the side of every grant-writing librarian. Rochelle Glantz