Applying for an LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) grant is a big project, but it can really make a difference to your library and your community. The Rice Lake Public Library applied for and received a literacy grant for 2012, and they are transforming their children’s room to support early literacy. Dawn Wacek reports: “We finally have our furniture in and play activities and we LOVE everything about it. The kids are having a blast playing in the new space.”
The guidelines for the 2013 LSTA grants are now available. Individual libraries can apply in the following categories: Literacy, Accessibility, Digitization of Local Resources, and new category–Digital Creations in Public Libraries. Also online is an LSTA grant application worksheet containing information to include in a successful grant application as well as a blank form for use as a model.
If you are thinking about writing a proposal, here are 3 suggestions:
- Attend a virtual information session on writing LSTA grant proposals on June 28–for more details contact Terrie Howe at Teresa.howe@dpi.wi.gov.
- Contact me if you want help writing a grant, or deciding whether or not to write one. I cannot help you if you contact me last-minute, but if you want my help, I’m happy to provide it. Make an appointment to talk with me about it sometime in July! langby@ifls.lib.wi.us
- As you write the grant, remember that they are for the calendar year, but because it is a federal grant, sometimes you won’t find out if funding is available until well into the grant year. Make sure you are cooking up a scheme that can be compressed into 9-10 months if necessary.
FYI: I will plan on writing an IFLS-wide grant proposal about autism and teens and young adults, so watch for details on this.