Institute of Museum and Library Services: National Leadership and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant Programs

New this year, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is offering one application deadline for two programs – National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grants (LB21) – which have previously each had two cycles per year. The NLG-L program invests in projects that address challenges faced by the library and archives fields and generate results such as new tools, research findings, or models that can be widely used. The LB21 program supports professional development and training projects for libraries and archives. The programs have three new project categories this year: Lifelong Learning, Community Catalysts, and National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives, as well as other changes.

National Leadership Grants for Libraries
NLG-L grants support projects that enhance the quality of library and archive services nationwide by advancing theory and practice. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that will be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment. This work may be achieved through proposals at various stages of maturity (exploring, piloting, enhancing, or scaling).
All applications must designate one of the following project categories:

• Lifelong Learning
• Community Catalysts
• National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
LB21 grants support developing a diverse workforce of librarians to better meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public by: enhancing the training and professional development of library and archives professionals, developing faculty and library leaders, and recruiting and educating the next generation of library and archives professionals.
All applications must designate one of the following project categories:

• Lifelong Learning
• Community Catalysts
• National Digital Infrastructures and Initiatives

Amount:
NLG-L Grants: Planning Grants are available up to $100,000; National Forum Grants are available up to $150,000; and Project and Research Grants are available up to $1,000,000.
LB21 Grants: Planning Grants are available up to $100,000; National Forum Grants are available up to $150,000; Project Grants are available up to $1,000,000; and Research Grants are available up to $500,000.

Eligibility:
To be eligible as an applicant for the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program or the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant Program, you must:

• be either a unit of State or local government or be a private, nonprofit institution that has nonprofit status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and
• be located in one of the 50 States of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau.

In addition, you must qualify as one of the following six types of organizations:
(1) A library or a parent organization, such as a school district, a municipality, a State agency, or an academic institution, that is responsible for the administration of a library. Eligible libraries include:
Public libraries;
Public elementary and secondary school libraries;
College (including community college) and university libraries;
Research libraries and archives that are not an integral part of an institution of higher education and that make publicly available library services and materials that are suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available. Research libraries must be under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian and must be either generally recognized as possessing unique, scholarly research materials and services that are made available to the public, or able to demonstrate that such is the case when submitting an application to IMLS;
Private or other special library, but only if the State in which such private or special library is located determines that the library should be considered a library for the purposes of the Library Services and Technology subchapter (see 20 U.S.C. 9121-9165);
(2) An academic or administrative unit, such as a graduate school of library and information science that is part of an institution of higher education through which it would make an application;
(3) A digital library, if it makes library materials publicly available and provides library services, including selection, organization, description, reference, and preservation, under the supervision of at least one permanent professional staff librarian;
(4) A library agency that is an official agency of a State or other unit of government and is charged by the law governing it with the extension and development of public library services within its jurisdiction;
(5) A library consortium that is a local, statewide, regional, interstate, or international cooperative association of library entities that provides for the systematic and effective coordination of the resources of eligible libraries, as defined above, and information centers that work to improve the services delivered to the clientele of these libraries; or
(6) A library association or library organization that exists on a permanent basis; serves libraries or library professionals on a national, regional, State, or local level; and engages in activities designed to advance the well-being of libraries and the library profession.
Native American tribal organizations may apply if they otherwise meet the above eligibility requirements.

Link: https://www.imls.gov/node/62270

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