How do I reserve a Let’s Talk About It Series?
Please reserve your desired Let’s Talk About It series through the SC State Library KitKeeper System; you can filter to all available series by selecting “Let’s Talk About It” under the “Type” dropdown menu. You can request the series up to six months in advance of when your library would like to receive the books. Please contact T.J. Wallace for more information.
How many Let’s Talk About It (LTAI) series can my organization host?
Each sponsoring organization (library system) is limited to two Let’s Talk About It series per fiscal year (11/1 – 10/31), but exceptions are made based on availability of funding and whether or not a county/library system may be considered “underserved.” Please contact T.J. Wallace for more information.
Do I have to use every book in the series?
No. We are certainly open to variations on our LTAI series.
Can I use a series from the North Carolina Let’s Talk About It program?
Yes. The North Carolina Humanities Council has graciously offered the use of their LTAI series to us, subject to availability. These series will be lent only when not in use by a North Carolina library, and the participating South Carolina library will be responsible for two-way shipping costs. If you are interested in borrowing a North Carolina LTAI series, please contact the North Carolina Humanities Council at 336-334-5325. For a complete list of North Carolina LTAI series, please see http://www.nchumanities.org/programs/lets-talk-about-it. Though you will be receiving the books from North Carolina, you can still apply for a grant to SC Humanities.
Do I have to use scholars?
Through the SC State Library’s KitKeeper system, you can reserve a Let’s Talk About It series and just use the books. The book sets come with series guides that include discussion questions.
However, LTAI series are meant to encourage discussion from a variety of viewpoints, and this is best accomplished by having scholar-led discussions on each book. If you would like to apply for a grant from SC Humanities, you must arrange for scholars to lead discussions, and we strongly encourage using a different scholar for each book. Unless under special arrangement, if you wish to use a single scholar for more than one book or for the entire series, we will only be able to approve payment to the scholar for a single lecture; you will be responsible for making any additional payments or for making arrangements with the scholar.
Do you make arrangements with scholars to lead my LTAI discussions (time, place, etc.)?
We leave all coordination to the sponsoring organization. Before filling out the application, please get in touch with us if you need names and contact info for scholars in your area. You should then contact the scholars to arrange times and dates, then fill out the application with the appropriate information and send it in.
Do you cover travel costs for scholars?
No. The sponsoring organization is responsible for any travel costs, meals, etc. You should ask the scholar about these costs before applying.
How does payment work?
Once you have returned your signed grant agreement, we will mail payment for your project. You are then responsible for paying each scholar.
What is the “cost share” section of the application all about?
SC Humanities is federally-funded, so we are required to show that grant applicants invest as much into a program as we do. However, your cost share does not have to be in cash; most of it can be in-kind and should be calculated based on both actual and theoretical costs. For example, you should estimate the value of time spent putting together the program, the rental value of the space where the program will be held (even if this number is theoretical), cost of telephone calls and making copies, etc. All this should easily equal or exceed our contribution.
When will I get my books?
The LTAI books are sent from the South Carolina State Library, which houses our library of titles. It should take less than a week for the books to arrive.
How do I return the books?
If your library is not a member of SC Lends, you will need to make arrangements to return the series to the SC State Library. Please contact T.J. Wallace for more information.
Are there supporting materials for the series?
There are series guides that include synopses and discussion questions for each book. The series guide will be sent to you at the same time as the books.
