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Nebraska Library Commission Website

Library Improvement Grants

In 2020 the Nebraska Library Commission will award federal funds to libraries through a competitive grant process. These funds are provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, with funds administered through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The purpose of the Library Improvement Grants is to facilitate growth and development of library programs and services in Nebraska public and institutional libraries, by supplementing local funding with federal funds designated for these purposes.

In keeping with the goals of the Library Services and Technology Act, these Library Improvement Grants are intended to help libraries meet the goals of the Nebraska Library Commission LSTA Five-Year Plan 2018-2022. In order to be funded projects must meet one or more of the following "LSTA Purposes":

  • Facilitate access to resources . . . for the purpose of cultivating an educated and informed citizenry;
  • Encourage resource sharing among . . . libraries for the purpose of achieving economical and efficient delivery of library services to the public;
  • Promote literacy, education, and lifelong learning and to enhance and expand the services and resources provided by libraries, including those services and resources relating to workforce development, 21st century skills, and digital literacy skills;
  • Ensure the preservation of knowledge and library collections in all formats and to enable libraries to serve their communities during disasters;
  • Promote library services that provide users with access to information through national, state, local, regional, and international collaborations and networks.
For more information, see the Nebraska Library Commission LSTA Sub-Grant Policies and Procedures Manual.

Online applications will be accepted through 11:59 PM (CT) on November 13, 2019.
    Recipients will be announced by December 1, 2019.

Eligible entities: Other organizations can partner with an eligible entity for purposes of submitting a grant application for a collaborative project.

What is required of the applicant?
  • Grants require at least a twenty-five percent (25%) local match, of which at least 10% must be a cash match.

  • Grant recipients will meet all requirements outlined in the grant award documents. This includes crediting the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Nebraska Library Commission when undertaking and promoting grant-supported activities by including the following statement in all published materials:

    This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Nebraska Library Commission.

  • Projects which provide access to the Internet require compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA); this means Internet access must be filtered as required by the federal LSTA funding. Library Improvement Grant 2020 Internet Safety Certification (PDF) [This is the form that certifies the library complies with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) for grant proposals involving access via the Internet.] Internet-related projects must also have applied for and received E-rate discounts (or show that the library already receives equivalent or higher discounts from Internet Service Providers).
     
  • Grant recipients must follow the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with regard to technology. Please review IMLS Advisory: E-books Reader Lending Programs, and note that IMLS encourages libraries to keep these laws in mind when acquiring new public access technologies.
Library Improvement Grant 2020 Application

Library Improvement Grant 2020 Completion Report

Final Project Report

Grant Recipients Database

For more information, contact Christa Porter.