Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is awarding a variety of grants up to $1 million to programs that assist modern libraries in meeting the changing learning and information needs of the American public.
National, state, local and tribal programs that meet the general criteria for libraries are eligible to apply.
Funding categories include:
- Planning grants up to $50,000 for one year: Used to perform preliminary planning activities
- National Forum grants up to $100,000 for one to two years: Used to foster discussion between experts and key stakeholders regarding professional development and education-related issues among libraries and archives
- Project Grants up to $1 million for one to four years: Used to recruit, develop, train and educate the next generation of librarians and archivists
- Research Grants up to $500,000 one to four years: Used to investigate key questions important to the library or information science professions
Project grants of $250,000 or more require a 1:1 cost share match, excluding student support costs.
All applicants must designate one of three project categories:
- Community Anchors
- National Digital Platform
- Curating Collections
Preliminary proposal applications are due by Sept. 1, 2017, and Jan. 16, 2018, for invited proposals. Those selected to receive a grant will be notified in April 2018.
