DATE: August 20, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Library Department
TITLE: ACCEPTANCE OF GRANT FUNDS FROM NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS/ARTS MIDWEST FOR THE BIG READ PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council accept and appropriate $20,000 in grant funds from the National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest, awarded to the City for the 2025-2026 Big Read program.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On June 23, 2025, the City of Oceanside was selected to receive $20,000 in grant funds for the Big Read program. This is the seventh time the Oceanside Public Library has been selected for this competitive nationwide opportunity. The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, is designed to restore reading to American culture. The program brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.
The Big Read program will provide funding for a series of public events designed to draw the community together as they read and discuss Diane Wilson's The Seed Keeper. The book is a multigenerational novel that follows Rosalie Iron Wing, a Dakh?ta woman who, after being placed in foster care, embarks on a journey to reconnect with her heritage and the ancestral seeds that symbolize her people's resilience. The novel explores themes of cultural survival, environmental stewardship, and the enduring bonds between land, seeds, and identity. Activities inspired by the book have been developed to capture the interest of the community through interactive educational workshops led by local knowledge keepers and a special event featuring a conversation with the author. Additionally, oral histories, dynamic storytelling, and art and writing workshops will capture, showcase, and preserve the powerful generational stories and traditions of Oceanside and its people. Programming is scheduled to take place in March and April of 2026, ove...
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