
The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Wisconsin—Madison is delighted to announce that the “East Asia in Wisconsin” library program, now in its fifth year, is accepting applications through November 1. Full details, ideas for materials and programming, and a link to the application can be found at https://eastasia.wisc.edu/eainwisconsin.
Launched in 2020, the program offers grants of up to $1,000 per library to augment collections with East Asia-related materials, and to design new book clubs and other programing with an East Asian theme.
Libraries in 9 Wisconsin library systems (along with one elementary school in a pilot program for school libraries) received grants through this program in 2023-24.
Examples of how libraries used the grant include funding for:
- Specialty items like cookbooks, language learning materials, dance handkerchiefs, and even a full-sized dragon dance puppet.
- Entire Manga sets.
- East Asian titles for book clubs.
- Crafts supplies for programs to make sushi, Lunar New Year projects, paper quilling, etc.
- Honorariums for a lecture series on East Asian history.
- Adding titles about East Asia to the statewide Wisconsin Digital Library.
“This grant is a way for our center to help library patrons across the state have access to the latest in current events, reference materials, children’s books, literature and films about East Asia,” said CEAS assistant director Laurie Dennis. “Kaukauna Public Library used their 2023-24 grant to buy materials and fund dance and music performances at a new Asian Cultural Day for their patrons. That’s just one of the many creative ways our Wisconsin libraries used to help patrons learn more about East Asia.”
CEAS once again partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Wisconsin Library Association, and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center to plan and promote this program.
The East Asia in Wisconsin Library Program is partially funded by a Title VI grant from the US Department of Education.