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Grants to States (Library Services and Technology Act - LSTA) is sponsored by Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the U. S.
Funding is distributed among State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs) each year using a population-based formula.
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Grants to States | Institute of Museum and Library Services The Grants to States program is the largest source of federal funding support for library services in the U.S. What is the Grants to States program? Using a population based formula, more than $160 million is distributed among the State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs) every year.
SLAAs are official agencies charged by law with the extension and development of library services, and they are located in: Each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; The Territories (Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands); and The Freely Associated States (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands).
What do the funds support? Each year, approximately 1,500 Grants to States projects support the purposes and priorities outlined in the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) .
SLAAs may use the funds to support statewide initiatives and services, and they may also distribute the funds through competitive subawards to, or cooperative agreements with, public, academic, research, school, or special libraries or consortia (for-profit and federal libraries are not eligible).
States and subrecipients have partnered with community organizations to provide a variety of services and programs, including access to electronic databases, computer instruction, homework centers, summer reading programs, digitization of special collections, access to e-books and adaptive technology, bookmobile service, and development of outreach programs to the underserved.
To find out more about how funds are used in your state, search projects from the State Program Report (SPR) . For more information about each SLAA and its priorities, visit your state profile page . Who does the program serve?
Grants to States funds have been used to meet the needs of children, parents, teenagers , adult learners, senior citizens , the unemployed, and the business community. One of the program’s statutory priorities is to address underserved communities and persons having difficulty using a library, and approximately ten percent of grant funds in recent years have supported library services for the blind and physically handicapped.
The program also meets the needs of the current and future library workforce. The Grants to States program allocates a base amount to each of the SLAAs plus a supplemental amount based on population. You can see recent allotments for all the states here as well as allotment tables that include the total program budget, matching funds, and data references.
How is the program evaluated? The Library Services and Technology Act requires each SLAA to submit a plan that details library services goals for a five-year period. SLAAs must also conduct a five-year evaluation of library services based on that plan.
These plans and evaluations are the foundation for improving practice and informing policy. View all the states’ five-year plans and five-year evaluations for library services .
To strengthen the impact of the federal investment in the Grants to States program, IMLS and SLAAs have partnered to shift the way in which Grants to States program information is gathered and shared, improve program evaluation and reporting, and highlight evidence-based best practices. Results of this work are incorporated in the publicly accessible annual reporting tool known as the State Program Report (SPR) .
When did the program begin? How has it changed over the years? For more than 50 years, the Library Services and Technology Act Grants to States program and its predecessor programs have supported the delivery of library services in the U.S. Although the legislation has undergone numerous reauthorizations, the basic function of the program, which merges federal priorities with state-defined needs, continues to this day.
Legislative highlights include: 1956: Congress passed the Library Services Act (LSA), authorizing $7. 5 million annually for 5 years for the extension and improvement of public library service in rural areas.
1962: LSA was reauthorized as the Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), removing restrictions that limited funding to rural libraries and adding Title II, which contained funds for remodeling or construction of library buildings.
1996: Congress shifted LSCA to the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as Subchapter II of the Museum and Library Services Act, ending federal funding for library construction and replacing it with a focus on new information technologies. For more recent activity, see the IMLS legislative timeline . Who can I contact for more information?
For more information, use the IMLS contact form . You can also reach one of the program staff through our contacts list . In 2024, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded $266.
7 million through grantmaking, research and policy development, to advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations. Advance | Support | Empower
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: State Library Administrative Agencies. Nonprofits may be eligible for sub-awards from their state's agency. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Varies (population-based formula) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information. For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 27, 2021. Purpose of Program: The NASNTI Program provides grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to enable them to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native Americans and low-income individuals. Institutions may use the grants to plan, develop, undertake, and carry out activities to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native American and low-income students. Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.031X. Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-051022-001. Assistance Listing: 84.031. Funding Instrument: CA,G. Category: ED. Award Amount: Up to $550K per award.
The National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L) supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice and strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as new models, tools, research findings, services, practices, and/or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment. Applications to IMLS should both advance knowledge and understanding and ensure that the federal investment made generates benefits to society. Specifically, the goals for this program are to generate projects of far-reaching impact that: • Build the workforce and institutional capacity for managing the national information infrastructure and serving the information and education needs of the public. • Build the capacity of libraries and archives to lead and contribute to efforts that improve community well-being and strengthen civic engagement. • Improve the ability of libraries and archives to provide broad access to and use of information and collections with emphasis on collaboration to avoid duplication and maximize reach. • Strengthen the ability of libraries to provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster. • Strengthen the ability of libraries, archives, and museums to work collaboratively for the benefit of the communities they serve. Throughout its work, IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be reflected in an IMLS-funded project in a wide range of ways, including efforts to serve individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; individuals with disabilities; individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; individuals having difficulty using a library or museum; and underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line. Application Process: The application process for the NLG-L program has two phases; applicants must begin by applying for Phase I. For Phase I, all applicants must submit Preliminary Proposals by the September 20th deadline listed for this Notice of Funding Opportunity. For Phase II, only selected applicants will be invited to submit Full Proposals, and only those Invited Full Proposals will be considered for funding. Invited Full Proposals will be due March 20, 2024. Funding Opportunity Number: NLG-LIBRARIES-FY24. Assistance Listing: 45.312. Funding Instrument: G. Category: AR,HU. Award Amount: $50K – $1M per award.
The California Department of Education (CDE) Early Education Division is making approximately .7 million available to expand California State Preschool Program (CSPP) services statewide, appropriated under the 2021 Budget Act. Eligible applicants are local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts, county offices of education, community college districts, and direct-funded charter schools—both current CSPP contractors and new applicants. Funding supports full-day/full-year or part-day/part-year preschool services for income-eligible children beginning in FY 2024–25. Awards are allocated by county based on Local Planning Council priority areas and application scores, with redistribution provisions if county allocations are underutilized.