MADISON — The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is pleased to announce award recipients for the most recent “East Asia in the Upper Midwest Library Program” competition. Nearly $21,000 in funding will be distributed to 19 libraries across Wisconsin, representing 11 of the state’s 15 library systems.
This is the sixth year of the competition, which offers grants to public libraries with the goal of enriching patrons’ understanding of East Asia through the funding of new programming and materials.
“We were awarded this grant in 2025, and it was so great to see the impact it had on our collection,” said Librarian Lydia Dill in her successful application for additional funding to Brillion Public Library in Calumet County. The new grant will be used, in part, for a new take-and-make food program, “Cooking Anime.”
Along with the purchase of new books, manga collections, games and related materials, funding in 2026 will also go toward: a special program at Delavan Public Library about the Godzilla monster and its importance in Japanese culture, Korean cooking classes at McIntosh Memorial Library in Viroqua, Chinese Tai Chi and Chi Gong classes at Lakeview Community Library in Random Lake, adding East Asian titles to a popular audio books collection at Amery Area Public Library, celebrating Hmong culture at Appleton Public Library and Tibetan culture at Lake Geneva Public Library, holding a special “Tour of Asia in the North Woods” event at Rusk County Community Library, and much more.
This year’s grants will also help the Wisconsin Book Festival (WBF) in Madison include a speaker about a book connected to East Asia, as part of the festival’s 25th anniversary activities in 2026. This continues a long partnership between CEAS and WBF.
Though the first round of grants have now been awarded, some funding will be available on a rolling basis. Click on this link for more information.
Awarded proposals for 2026 came from the following libraries:
- Bridges Library System:
- New Berlin Public Library
- IFLS Library System:
- Amery Area Public Library
- D.R. Moon Memorial Library
- Hammond Community Library
- Rusk County Community Library
- Kenosha County Library System:
- Community Library (Salem)
- Kenosha Public Library
- Manitowoc-Calumet Library System:
- Brillion Public Library
- Manitowoc Public Library
- Monarch Library System:
- Lakeview Community Library
- Nicolet Federated Library System:
- Shawano County Library
- Outagamie-Waupaca Library System:
- Appleton Public Library
- Prairie Lakes Library System:
- Delavan Public Library
- Lake Geneva Public Library
- Milton Public Library
- South Central Library System:
- Madison Public Library – Central
- Southwest Wisconsin Library System:
- Blanchardville Public Library
- Winding Rivers Library System:
- La Crosse County Library
- McIntosh Memorial Library