Speaking Volumes
Overview
The Trust offers the following guideline amounts for awards depending on how an application is prioritised:
- Prison, public library - £500.
- Secondary school, further education college - £300.
- Primary school - £250.
- Hospice, care home - £200.
- Pre-school, church - £100.
- Other - discretionary.
The books and DVDs must be selected from the list on the Speaking Volumes website. The list contains many subjects and genres.
Guidance
If you want to make an application this is what you need to know.
- Check the dates when the application period is open and only apply during that period.
- Please read the conditions below and ensure that you are eligible to apply for a grant.
- Look at the books available and be certain that you would can chose some of them for your library.
- Make an application. If you have not created an account already you will have to do this before completing an application form. You do not need to select your books at this stage but do ensure that the library has agreed to receive books.
- Successful submission is indicated by an automated return email.
- They assess your application at the next scheduled management meeting and will email you the outcome. This may take several months if you applied early in the grant application window and we request your patience.
- If you are offered a grant you can log back into your account and create your order from the booklist.
- When you are ready, submit your order form to the bookshop. The bookshop will prepare your order and let you know when it is ready for collection or delivery.
- Some books may not be available. The bookshop may need to discuss substitutes with you if this has a major impact on your order.
Conditions
- Books must be borrowable, and not for gifts or re-sale.
- You can only buy books that feature on the Speaking Volumes booklist. Bookshops can offer you alternatives, at their discretion, should your selection be unavailable.
- You will be notified about the outcome of your application via your email address. You must spend your grant within 1 month of receiving it as some bookshops need time to compile your order.
- They will not consider a grant to the same library within three years.
- You or the library must acknowledge that the books are in place for lending by sending a picture of them in situ, preferably with readers using the books, or a letter of acknowledgement of receipt. Pictures that include children or vulnerable adults must have necessary permissions for potential publicity, although we will contact you again if they are used.
- You agree to participate in a very brief survey about a year after receiving the books.
- They endeavour to offer a grant to everyone however this is not always possible. You may reapply if you are unsuccessful. Priority is given as follows:
- 1st Public and Prison libraries, hospices
- 2nd Schools and pre-schools
- 3rd Churches and foreign placements.
Priority Citeria - Anyone can apply, you do not have to be a librarian and they do not restrict grants to formal libraries. The location of the books could just be a bookshelf in a room so long as people can borrow them and they do get returned. So you could be running an Alpha course and lend the books out to course participants, or you could arrange for the books to be in your local public library.
The important thing is the books will be available for borrowing.