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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">Please excuse duplicate emails.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Logo
Description automatically generated" href="https://library.ohio.gov/arpa/" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:96pt;height:96pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:button="t">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><a href="https://library.ohio.gov/arpa/"><img border="0" width="128" height="128" style="width:1.3333in;height:1.3333in" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D7BAA4.BE682C60" align="left" hspace="12" alt="Logo
Description automatically generated" title="" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3"></a><![endif]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">The
State Library of Ohio Board has awarded a $100,000 <a href="https://library.ohio.gov/arpa/">
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)</a> grant to Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) to create a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) e-book collection with unlimited access for its member libraries. Federal ARPA funds, received from the Institute
of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), will be used to purchase a consortially curated and shared DEI collection. Increasing the depth and breadth of available e-books will strengthen engagement with under-represented communities and broaden education for
the majority population, as well as provide critical scholarly materials to support curriculum and research. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">“Our statewide group of collections librarians recognized the need for more representative materials that better reflect our users,” said Amy Pawlowski, Executive Director
of OhioLINK, which is the statewide consortium of academic libraries. “The majority of OhioLINK’s library directors have experienced budget cuts related to COVID-19 and are struggling to find funds with which to build these DEI collections. Investing in a
shared digital collection is a cost-effective use of ARPA funds that leverages OhioLINK’s strengths in selecting, purchasing, and sharing library materials. Students and faculty across Ohio will be able to easily access and use the DEI e-book collection for
research as well as assigned course materials.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"> Once the publisher has been selected through a Request for Proposal process, OhioLINK’s statewide team of collection development librarians will curate the selection
of titles. The collection should be available for use spring semester 2022. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">“ARPA has given a once in a lifetime opportunity for libraries of all types to implement creative and inventive ways to better serve their patrons,” expressed Wendy
Knapp, State Librarian of Ohio. “The systemic inequalities that were exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic only served to highlight Governor’s DeWine’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis. Providing greater access to materials for all our higher education
institutions to share with their communities will support their important work in this area.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">“The State Library of Ohio is committed to allocating ARPA funds for statewide initiatives that benefit all types of libraries,” stated Evan T. Struble, Associate State
Librarian for Library Development. “I want to express my gratitude to the State Library Board for supporting this proposal from our academic library colleagues, as it will have a true statewide reach. I’m excited to see the launch of this impactful collection.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><a href="https://ohiolink.edu/">OhioLINK
</a>is Ohio’s statewide academic library consortium, serving 88 institutions plus the State Library of Ohio. Delivering both IT infrastructure and content negotiation, OhioLINK provides students, faculty, researchers, and staff with access to valuable digital
research collections at a fraction of the cost if those collections had to be purchased by individual institutions. A member of the Ohio Technology Consortium and funded through the Ohio Department of Higher Education, OhioLINK creates competitive advantage
for its member institutions and supports student and researcher success across Ohio. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="96" height="96" style="width:1.0in;height:1.0in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image006.jpg@01D7BAA3.82CDF410"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002060"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Marsha McDevitt-Stredney, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Public Information Officer<br>
Director, Marketing & Communications<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">State Library of Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">274 E. 1<sup>st</sup> Avenue<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Columbus, OH 43201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#002E62">Tel: 614-644-6875<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><a href="http://library.ohio.gov/"><span style="color:blue">library.ohio.gov</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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