NEA and IMLS announce more than $1.5 million in Big Read grants for the first half of 2008

"The National Endowment for the Arts has announced that it will award grants totaling $1,598,800 to 127 libraries, municipalities, and arts, culture, higher education, and science organizations to host Big Read celebrations of 16 classic novels from January-June 2008. The newest Big Read grantees represent 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The NEA inaugurated the Big Read as a pilot project with ten communities in 2006. By 2009, approximately 400 communities in the U.S. will have hosted a Big Read since the program's 2007 national launch"