ALA, FINRA Foundation to distribute inclusive financial literacy kits to 100 public and school libraries

One hundred public and school libraries will receive free books and resources through an effort to distribute diverse and inclusive financial literacy resources for children and young people. The giveaway is offered by the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation).

Library workers are invited to apply online to receive one of the kits for their library. Applications will be accepted until January 3, 2022.

All Americans need to master the knowledge and skills to make smart financial choices and prepare for whatever the future brings. Unfortunately, books that seek to teach children and young people good financial habits often, perhaps unknowingly, lack diverse characters and reinforce harmful stereotypes.

ALA and the FINRA Foundation have collaborated with a team of librarian advisors to develop a book list that eschews stereotypes and embraces diversity in telling stories and sharing skills related to personal finance and financial capability for children.

One hundred participating libraries will receive a printed copy of the “Thinking Money for (ALL) Kids” book list with corresponding best practices and programming ideas for public and school libraries; a print copy of “Rainy Day Ready: Financial Literacy Programs and Tools” edited by Melanie Welch and Patrick Hogan for the ALA Public Programs Office (ALA Editions, 2020), a ready-to-use guide for library staff with 16 model financial capability programs; and one print copy of five books from the book list for libraries to add to their circulating collection.

Public and school libraries (serving children in grades K–8) located in the U.S. and U.S. territories are eligible to apply.

Apply online to be considered for one of the kits. The application will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Please only submit one application per library or branch.

A digital version of the “Thinking Money for (ALL) Kids” book list will be made available, free of charge, to the library field upon its completion in spring 2022. To be notified when the digital guide is available, sign up for ALA’s Programming Librarian newsletter.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.

About FINRA and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation

FINRA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to investor protection and market integrity. It regulates one critical part of the securities industry—brokerage firms doing business with the public in the United States. FINRA, overseen by the SEC, writes rules, examines for and enforces compliance with FINRA rules and federal securities laws, registers broker-dealer personnel and offers them education and training, and informs the investing public. In addition, FINRA provides surveillance and other regulatory services for equities and options markets, as well as trade reporting and other industry utilities. FINRA also administers a dispute resolution forum for investors and brokerage firms and their registered employees. For more information, visit www.finra.org.

The FINRA Foundation supports innovative research and educational projects that give underserved Americans the knowledge, skills and tools to make sound financial decisions throughout life. For more information about FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.