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Find similar grantsLibrary Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants (Administered by Illinois State Library) is sponsored by Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). LSTA is the largest source of federal funding for library services.
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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: Specific offerings may limit eligibility, but generally includes Illinois libraries of all types recognized by the State Library as full members in an Illinois regional library system, and Illinois regional library syst… Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Illinois' FY2024 allotment was $5,736,330 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.
National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) is a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that funds projects that develop, enhance, or adapt replicable practices, programs, models, or tools to strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Supported projects serve community learning needs, improve community prosperity, provide broad access to and preservation of information and collections, or deliver services to communities during emergencies or disasters. Community-Centered and National Implementation grant tracks are available. Award amounts range from ,000 to ,000,000; requests exceeding ,999 require at least a 1:1 cost share from non-federal sources. Eligible applicants include libraries, library consortia, and 501(c)(3) organizations that support libraries.
The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program is a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that funds workforce development for the library and archival profession. The program supports projects that provide training and professional development for library and archives professionals, develop faculty and information leaders, and recruit, educate, and retain the next generation of librarians and archivists. Eligible applicants include libraries, archives, and library and information science graduate programs. The FY 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available. Projects should build a library and archival workforce capable of meeting evolving community information needs and increasing the institutional capacity of libraries and archives across the country.