[lstac] Non-Competitive grants

Mon Dec 18 12:31:30 PST 2023

We have a similar, non-competitive, state-funded grant<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/readytoreadgrant> that can be used for early literacy or summer reading. It's calculated (by statute) 80% on population ages 0-14 and 20% on the square mileage of the library's service areas. All public libraries can receive one as long as they use the funds for one (or both) of its intended purposes. It often does function as operational funds for smaller libraries, which we are okay with because it advances our equity goals to help support rural and under-resourced libraries. For many of the libraries, it's not clear that it's displacing local funding because they likely just wouldn't get extra funding from their local government if the grant didn't exist.

Like Rhode Island, we don't expect innovation or expansion. We are also okay with the libraries funding performers. With some many isolated rural libraries in Oregon, bringing in puppeteers or musicians or the reptile man may be one the very few times in the year that the community gets to experience something like that. That being said, our youth services consultant often works with libraries to come up with new ideas or be inspired by the work of others.

We have also found that many libraries aren't great at coming up with outcomes on their own. We're considering moving to a model of establishing outcomes/objectives ourselves and having them explain how their project achieves those outcomes. That way, they're not guessing what we want out, and it's less of a burden for library staff who aren't used to created objectives themselves.

Cheers!

Buzzy Nielsen, MPP, MSI (he/him/his)
Program Manager for Library Support and Tribal Liaison
State Library of Oregon
buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:buzzy.nielsen at slo.oregon.gov> | 971-375-3486
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From: lstac <lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> On Behalf Of Maura Walsh via lstac
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 11:53 AM
To: Forbes, Lyndsay (BLC) <lyndsay.forbes at mass.gov>; Reish, Karren (MDE) <ReishK at michigan.gov>; lstac at omls.oregon.gov
Subject: Re: [lstac] Non-Competitive grants

Lyndsay, I love that text/explanation you give. It's very clever about expanding and moving beyond the classic reading programming that is usually just a package from outside the library anyway. Nothing wrong with that, but we're not about supplanting local funds. I think you do a great job without putting down the reading part they may want or need to do. (Just not with LSTA funding?)

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From: lstac <lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov>> on behalf of Forbes, Lyndsay (BLC) via lstac <lstac at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac at omls.oregon.gov>>
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 2:44:45 PM
To: Reish, Karren (MDE) <ReishK at michigan.gov<mailto:ReishK at michigan.gov>>; lstac at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac at omls.oregon.gov> <lstac at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac at omls.oregon.gov>>
Subject: Re: [lstac] Non-Competitive grants

We also did something similar in Massachusetts for two years before putting it on hiatus for similar reasons. Ours was competitive, which I think helped limit the issue you're seeing. To be fair, any grant program we run always gets applications that are operational expenditures no matter how much wording and messaging we do.

We framed it more to encourage summer learning than solely summer reading. I don't know if having them propose a project or concept and giving examples helped but we got some excellent options. Here's the blurb we used.

While summer reading programs are a well-established tradition, libraries offer many other opportunities for learning during the summer months. This program supports expanding the concept of summer learning in libraries beyond reading. Public libraries may apply for funds in the range of $500-2000 to carry out a project that promotes youth learning in their community during the summer.

Examples could include teen internships, youth designing an escape room event for the library, a gardening series in partnership with your local Parks and Rec, offering healthy activities if you serve as a summer lunch site, etc

Lyndsay Forbes

Project Manager and Grants Specialist

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

617-725-1860 x252

857-488-6616 (mobile)

From: lstac <lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac-bounces at omls.oregon.gov>> On Behalf Of Reish, Karren (MDE) via lstac
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 2:18 PM
To: lstac at omls.oregon.gov<mailto:lstac at omls.oregon.gov>
Subject: [lstac] Non-Competitive grants

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Good afternoon, Michigan has a small (under $2,000 per grant), simple programming supply grant for public libraries. It is intended to allow more robust summer programming in public libraries and a chance for the library to try something new. It is on hiatus since last year due to the CARES/ARPA work and I am pondering how to restart it. My issue is that it has become operational expenditures for small libraries. They just ask for their programming costs each summer. For many, it isn't increasing their programming nor are they necessarily trying something new.

Does anyone else do a non-competitive small grant like this? Do you consider the specific programming content as part of the criteria other than for allowability? Am I just angsting over what a small library can do for grant applications and for programming?

Thanks for any insights.

Karren Reish

Library Grants Coordinator

Library of Michigan

517-241-0021,  www.michigan.gov/lsta<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http:/www.michigan.gov/lsta__;!!CPANwP4y!RVETP3LaHH1Hxd1UQxhGNTp2Zo1KKKWJdl9XQQUXObExXom_FQN4WH4op00LvM7KVairYQNSEx6Ra7PmanY6EPAEPQ$>

The Michigan School Meals program allows for all public school students, grades Pre-K to 12, to eat breakfast and lunch for free. Learn more<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.michigan.gov/mde/services/food/michigan-school-meals__;!!CPANwP4y!RVETP3LaHH1Hxd1UQxhGNTp2Zo1KKKWJdl9XQQUXObExXom_FQN4WH4op00LvM7KVairYQNSEx6Ra7PmanYWRPW6vA$>.

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