Have you ever heard of the Knight Foundation? Quite simply, they support transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. They believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

It is no surprise that in late 2014, Knight “challenged applicants for ideas that leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities, recognizing their potential as drivers of innovation, creativity, news and information, entrepreneurship, education and social resources.” Sound like a tall order? Not for libraries! Winners were announced at the ALA Midwinter Conference with 8 winners receiving $130,000 to $600,000, while 14 early-stage ideas will receive $35,000 each through the Knight Prototype Fund. This fund helps libraries take media and information projects from idea to demo.

The full press release is priceless in that it includes links to videos and profiles of every funded project. There are some seriously creative ideas to peruse, and it makes me wonder….are we imagining the full potential of our Minnesota libraries of the future?

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