FY2013 Grant Announcement Letter

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is pleased to announce the FY2013 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant round.  In Massachusetts, the focus of the federal program continues to be programs that encourage cooperation and  supports projects that meet the needs of the diverse libraries and library users in the state.

The MBLC awards LSTA grant monies through an open competitive grant process.  Fact Sheets for  individual programs, with specific details concerning each of the special programs for this grant round, and for the round as a whole, are now available at http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/lsta/opportunities and in the Grant Fact Sheets in the box on the right.

Please note:  This federal program is not forward funded and this grant round is being held on the assumption that the MBLC will receive an adequate appropriation for FY 2013.   Statewide needs identified as the 2012 fiscal year goes on may reduce the amount available for direct grants to libraries, and make the grant round more competitive.

Any awards made for this round will be announced in July 2012, and projects will begin no earlier than October 1, 2012 and end on September 30, 2013 (for one year projects) or September 30, 2014 (for two year projects).  A calendar including deadlines for Letters of Intent and applications is included in this mailing.  This year's calendar reflects a change in the grant process.  Please read it carefully.   Grant writing workshops and a draft proposal are now requirements. SACL and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners have approved this calendar as a pilot for FY2013.

 Eligibility: To be eligible, an applicant must:

• be a member of the Massachusetts Library System; and
• have a long-range plan on file at the MBLC that meets the requirements of the Massachusetts Long-Range Plan, 2008-2012 and the LSTA Policies and Procedures 2008-2012; and
• have and updated FY 2013 Action Plan on file (deadline is Dec 1, 2011); and
• agree to attend and participate in Grants Proposal Workskhops held during January and February 2012 (calendar will be available in late December).

Public libraries must be certified in the FY 2011 State Aid Program, and remain certified throughout the application and award process. 

If you are uncertain whether your library is covered by a current long-range plan, please contact Rachel Masse:  rachel.masse@state.ma.us

Letters of Intent:  To start the grant process, applicants must file an original and one copy of a Letter of Intent (available at http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/lsta/opportunities/) with the MBLC, postmarked on or before December 15, 2011.  Letters of Intent will be reviewed by staff for eligibility and applicants must attend a workshop on the application process held during late January/early February, if appropriate for the program.  This year attendance at a workshop is mandatory.  Workshop dates will be announced closer to the new year.

We recommend you file only one, or at most two, Letters of Intent.  In general, except for the Preservation Survey, only one LSTA project will be awarded to each library. (See LSTA Policies and Procedures 2008-2012.  Please contact MBLC staff if you intend to file for more than one program.

Open – If you are planning on applying to the Open program you must include a summary (approximately 150 - 200  words) of your proposed project with the Letter tof Intent.  We recommend you speak with a consultant about your program idea as soon as possible.  We would also like to point out that programs from past grant rounds that are no longer listed as discrete programs may be used as the basis for applications under the Open category.   Links on our website (“Grants from the Past” at the bottom of the right hand menu fact sheet list) are provided to these programs.

We strongly urge you to contact the various MBLC Program Specialists listed on the individual Fact Sheets if you have questions or need more information in selecting a program before submitting a Letter of Intent.  They will be happy to assist you. General questions about LSTA, this grant round, or your library’s eligibility may be directed to my attention. Thanks again for your cooperation, and we are looking forward to your participation in this grant program!  On the MBLC website, please see:

• “Grant Round At A Glance” Chart
• Letter of Intent (form)
• Calendar
• LSTA Application Workshop Announcement (Coming in late December)
• Massachusetts Long-Range Plan 2008-2012
•  LSTA Policies and Procedures