The Billings Public Library has been offered a $1,000 American Library Association grant to host a traveling financial literacy exhibit called "Thinking Money."  The exhibit was developed by the American Library Association Public Programs Office in collaboration with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

A letter of agreement for the grant had to be signed and returned by April 8, 2016, three days before a City Council Business Session.  On April 5, the City Administrator sent the City Council an e-mail telling the members that she would sign the letter April 6 unless she heard otherwise from a Council Member.  The only comment received was one of support, so the letter was signed and returned.  It now needs ratification by the City Council.

City Council may:

• Ratify the signing of the agreement; or
• Disapprove the signing of the agreement, resulting in the withdrawal of the Billings Public Library from the national traveling exhibition.

The agreement requires that the Library hold four programs in conjunction with the exhibit, one of which must be an opening event.  The Library staff will use its time to organize the events, but no other expenditures are anticipated.

Staff recommends that the City Council ratify approval of the $1,000 American Library Association grant for the traveling exhibit, "Thinking Money".