University of Louisiana at Lafayette Selected for Competitive Federal Humanities Grant

Edith Garland Dupré Library at University of Louisiana at Lafayette has been selected as one of 200 libraries nationwide for the American Library Association’s American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries opportunity, an emergency relief program to assist libraries that have been adversely affected by the pandemic.

With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Dupré Library will use funds to anchor itself in the community as a strong humanities institution. The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library deliver excellent programs and services related to culture, history, literature, and other humanities subjects.

This grant project is a partnership between Dupré Library's Head of Special Collections Zachary Stein and Dr. Marissa Petrou, assistant professor of history and director of the Guilbeau for Public History. Grant funds will be used to develop collections and resources of books, artifacts, manuscript items, and oral histories that reflect Louisiana’s LGBTQ+ community. The funds will also support the invitation of 3 speakers to give lectures about LGBTQ+ collections in libraries, archives, and museums. The goal is to expand the library’s holdings of LGBTQ+ representation and act as important resources for students in the University’s minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies and Public History Program, as well as humanities students, scholars, and members of the public conducting research on LGBTQ+ history in the state.

More than 370 libraries applied for the grant, according to ALA. View the full list of selected libraries.

The participating libraries, selected through a competitive, peer-reviewed application process, include public libraries, academic/college libraries, K-12 libraries, and tribal, special and prison libraries. The recipients represent 45 states and Puerto Rico and serve communities ranging in size from 642 residents in Weir, Kansas, to the city of Los Angeles. Libraries were chosen with an emphasis on reaching historically underserved and/or rural communities.

“Libraries have faced significant hardships throughout the pandemic—from budget cuts to staff furloughs to building closures—especially in our communities of the greatest need,” said ALA President Patty Wong. “This crucial support from NEH will enable our beloved institutions, and the dedicated people who run them, to rebuild and emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”

American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Image: American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries – Grant Support