How to Apply for an Interlibrary Cooperation Grant from the Alaska State LibraryMarch 23, 2013Alaska Library Association Conference Valdez

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants For grants with statewide significance or that are

innovative or that allow individual libraries to experiment with new services or programs or buy technology

Grants are competitive and should be project-oriented Cooperative activities that benefit more than one library

are more competitive Grants have been awarded for projects ranging in size

from under $500 to over $50,000 Can not support ongoing operational costs, replace

primary funding sources, or fund activities that are the primary responsibility of the applicant library

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsEligibility for Interlibrary Cooperation Grants  All types of libraries may submit proposals: academic, public,

school, and special Is a library with a regular schedule of library services Has a dedicated facility for library purposes Has an established history of providing library services and

programs Has an annual budget with funds allocated for library materials

and services A public library must be eligible for or receiving a Public Library

Assistance Grant to receive an Interlibrary Cooperation grant

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsFunding Priorities   Proposals should be compatible with the state goals and

activities and federal priorities set out in the Library Services and Technology Act Alaska State Plan 2013 – 2017.

State Plan Goals Alaska libraries will support lifelong learning opportunities for

all Alaskans. Alaska libraries will provide access to content in current and

emerging formats for all Alaskans. Alaska libraries will explore evolving roles as anchor

institutions that benefit their communities.

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsFederal Priorities (20 US Code 9141 - Library Programs - Grants to States) Expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources in

a variety of formats, in all types of libraries, for individuals of all ages. Develop library services that provide people access to information through local,

state, regional, national and international electronic networks. Provide electronic and other linkages among and between all types of libraries. Develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community based

organizations. Target library services to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic

backgrounds, to people with disabilities, and to people with limited functional literacy or information skills.

Target library and information services to people having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children up to age 18 from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsClear, Well-Developed and Presented Proposals Are Strongly Encouraged  Well-defined objectives A narrative that justifies budget line items, including in-kind

donations Significant local financial support for the project as local match A time line for the project An evaluation plan that collects at least outputs, comments, and

anecdotes For grant projects that impact people directly, the evaluation plan

will include measurable targets and will indicate tools that will be used to measure changes to patrons or staff

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants

Local Match

Be sure to indicate the amount of local money that will be used as local match to support the grant project

Local match funds are strongly recommended for grant projects that benefit your library alone

Local match funds indicate library support for the project and will make your grant application more competitive

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants

Evaluation plans should include at least  What outputs you plan to track, i.e. statistics on how

much you did, such as: number of programs, number of attendees, number of photos digitized, number of resources purchased

Comments and anecdotes from the intended audience of the grant project

A description of how you intend to gather outputs, comments, and anecdotes

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants

Some Projects Will Be Chosen for Outcome-Based Evaluations (OBE) A limited number of ILC grant projects will be targeted by

State Library staff to include a more detailed outcome-based evaluation to show the impact of the project on library patrons or staff

State Library staff will assist the staff at libraries receiving these grants by providing information and possibly training funds on how to plan and implement an outcome-based evaluation

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsOutcome Based Evaluation

If the grant project will impact patrons or staff, include measurable targets stated as a number or percentage for outcomes listed in the evaluation section of the application

What tools you plan to use to find out whether the grant project reached the measurable targets for impact on patrons or staff, i.e. changes in skills, knowledge, attitude, and/or quality of life

Tools for measuring the impact of the grant project on patrons or staff include: surveys, informal interviews, observations, questionnaires, etc.

Interlibrary Cooperation GrantsMeasurable OBE targets should be stated in this format: Change in Skills: 12 people will learn to use e-book

readers Change in Attitude: 25% of the participants who were

hesitant to use the library’s online catalog will report increased confidence with technology

Change in Behavior: 15 youth will report they read more since they heard the author speak

Change in Knowledge: 50% of participants will report they learned book repair techniques they can use in their own library

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants

Cost of evaluating the grant project should be included in budget on grant application

Most grant projects will include low cost self-evaluations, such as gathering output, comments, and anecdotes

State Library staff can assist applicants in developing an evaluation plan

We can supply sample OBE surveys for measuring changes in skills, knowledge, attitude, or quality of life

Interlibrary Cooperation Grants

ILC grant applications should be postmarked by April 1

ILC grant applications are at:http://www.library.state.ak.us/dev/grants.html

Need help?Call me 800-776-6566 Write: Patience.Frederiksen@alaska.gov