In February 2024, ALA announced it received an additional $10 million dollars in support of the LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative. A substantial portion of the funding – $7 million – will be distributed in grants of $10,000 and $20,000 to small and rural libraries.
Library workers may now apply online for funding from September 11, 2024, to December 11, 2024. Up to 300 libraries will be awarded in this application period.
Previous awardees from round one and/or two are eligible to apply. Note that prioritization will be given to applicants not previously awarded.
Interested applicants can register for a pre-application webinar on October 10, 2024 at 12:00 pm CST.
Libraries selected for round three will receive $10,000 or $20,000 to support costs related to their community engagement project; virtual training to assist project directors in developing their community engagement, facilitation, and disability service skills; a suite of online resources developed to support local programs; and technical and project support from the ALA Public Programs Office throughout the grant term.
Libraries chosen to participate in LTC: Accessible Small and Rural Communities will first conduct community input-gathering sessions to assure that their work aligns with local disability community needs. Libraries will be required to identify the primary audience they are hoping to reach (e.g., older adults with mobility disabilities, children with autism, Deaf community members) and facilitate a community conversation with the impacted patron group to guide improvement of the library’s services. Grantees will then use the grant funds to create services or improve their facilities based on the needs identified by their audience.
The opportunity is open to libraries serving small and rural communities in the U.S. and U.S. territories. To be eligible, a library must be located in an area that’s more than, or equal to, five miles from an urbanized area and with a population of 25,000 or less, in keeping with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) definitions of small and rural libraries
Since 2014, ALA has distributed Libraries Transforming Communities funding to foster community engagement skills among library workers and support need-driven projects. Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities is part of ALA’s longtime commitment to preparing library workers for the expanding role of libraries. The initiative is offered in partnership with the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL). It is supported by a private donor.