The Library of Michigan’s (LM) intent for this grant program is to improve public and academic libraries’ capacity to offer services and information resources in their communities.
Donor Name: Library of Michigan
State: Michigan
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/31/2023
Size of the Grant: $5,000 to $25,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
The focus will be on one-year projects that improve access to information for community members in the areas of literacy; local history and special collections; improving digital inclusion; or access to library programming for underserved community members.
LM’s LSTA grant program is designed to provide libraries with the opportunity to expand services for learning and access to information and/or to develop library services that provide all users access to information. The intent is to fund one-year projects that increase access to library collections and information. The application focus must be on how the activities will improve access and have a direct impact on the targeted users. In a given fiscal year, LM will fund a limited number of grants that meet these priorities.
The program distributes federal library funding authorized under the Museum and Library Services Act (LSTA) to state-approved projects. Through the legislation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency, provides grants to state library administrative agencies, including LM. These federal grants may be used to support statewide initiatives and services, or they may be distributed through competitive grant programs.
Grant Priorities
- Improve access to services & information in areas of literacy.
- Improve access to services & information in areas of local history or special collections.
- Improve access to information for community users with limited online access, e.g. improving equity through digital inclusion.
- Improve access to services and information for underserved community members by developing new or improving current library programming.
Applicants may propose a project for any of the four priorities listed above and that fit the following guidelines for the priorities.
- Literacy projects:
- They are interested in projects that improve community literacy for a range of topics, such as early literacy, financial literacy, digital literacy, English as a second language (ESL) or limited English proficiency users, health literacy, etc. Examples are supporting programming for a community group like a teen center, creating a pop-up library collection that supports an identified local need, providing financial or digital literacy training, etc.
- Access to Information:
- They are interested in digital inclusion projects, meaning increasing or improving services for users with limited online access. Examples are hot spot lending programs, support for technology training, using assistive devices with disabled patrons, etc.
- Library Programming:
- They are interested in projects that develop new programming for or expand current programming to underserved community members. Examples are developing curriculum and kits for educational programming, designing, and providing specialized programming for an underserved community group, developing a regional programming collaboration among a group of libraries, etc.
Funding Information
- Grant Award: $5,000 to $25,000
Grant Period
- The grant period is one year (October 1 – September 30)
Eligibility Criteria
Michigan public and academic libraries and library cooperatives. Public libraries must be legally established and eligible for state aid at the time of application. Academic libraries must be accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
To be eligible, a library applicant must:
- Have one or more paid library staff
- Have a regular schedule of library service
- Have a dedicated facility for library purposes
- Have an annual budget with funds reserved for library materials and services
- Have a record of multi-type library cooperation, evidenced by activities such as union listing of holdings, reciprocal borrowing, or interlibrary loan
- If a “public library,” be “lawfully established” for purposes of the State Aid to Public Libraries Act and meet all eligibility requirements for receiving state aid, at the time of application and the time of grant award
- If an “academic library,” be currently accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
For more information, visit Library of Michigan.
