The California State Library has recently announced that five funding opportunities will open in early January, with applications due no later than March 6. These grant programs, all funded by federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, include general Community Impact Grants as well as specific opportunities for Play for All (families and young children), Sustainable California Libraries (climate- and sustainability-focused, community-driven programming), Teens Succeed (focused on internships), and eBooks for All (building diverse and inclusive digital collections).
How can your library and staff better prepare for these opportunities? There are two important pieces: community engagement and grant proposal development. You’ll also want to register for the State Library’s information session at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
First off, grant writing expert Stephanie Gerding will usher in the new year with five (count’ em!) California-exclusive sessions designed to help you start on the right foot.
Register now for one or both of two workshops on LSTA grant basics.
- LSTA Grant Fundamentals(60 minutes live webinar + 30 min Q&A)Tuesday, Jan. 23, 10-11:30 a.m.
- From Ideas to Funding: LSTA Strategies for Success(60 minutes live webinar + 30 min Q&A) Thursday, Feb. 6, 10-11:30 a.m.
For rural and small libraries, or those brand new to grant writing, we are offering a three-part series with a brief recorded introduction to get you started:
- Series Intro with Grant Process Cycle. Stay posted for a 5-minute recorded video introduction. Empowering Rural and Small Libraries: 10 Tips for Winning Library Grants with Learner Guide (30 min. live webinar) Wednesday, Jan. 10, 10-10:30 a.m.
- Rural and Small Library Grant Planning and Designwith Winning Grants Planning Worksheet (60 min. live webinar), Thursday, Jan. 18, 1-2 p.m.
- Creating the Winning LSTA Grant Proposal for Small and Rural Librarieswith LSTA Grant Worksheet 1-hour live webinar + 30 minutes Q&A, Thursday, Feb. 1, 1-2:30 p.m.
All of the grant proposals will also ask for a level of community engagement and co-design work with partners and community members. We highly encourage you to attend a webinar on Building Authentic Relationships with Underserved Communities, on Tuesday, January 30, at 11 a.m. Interested in learning more about co-design? Get a jumpstart with this view-anytime CALL Academy recording from the Library Collective or attend a three-session course from Library Journal starting February 21.