Transcript LSTA – Grant Writing - South Central Library System

LSTA – Grant Writing
SCLS Brain Snack webinar
Friday, August 6, 2010
Shawn Brommer, SCLS
LSTA – a brief history
•
•
•
•
Library Services and Technology Act
Federal program – administered by the
Institute of Museum and Library Services
DPI – Division for Libraries, Technology &
Community Learning
LSCA vs. LSTA
– Technology
– Resource sharing
– Targeted services
LSTA Information and Guidelines for WI (2011)
Purposes/Allowable Uses of LSTA
$$






Expanding 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
Developing library services that provide all users access to information
through local, state, regional, national, and international electronic
networks
Providing electronic and other linkages among and between all types of
libraries
Developing public and private partnerships with other agencies and
community-based organizations
Targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and
socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to
individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills
Targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using
a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including
children (from birth through age 17) from families with incomes below the
poverty line
Project planning
Know your community and its needs
 Identify in-house experts (library staff,
board members)
 Create a timeline
 Identify partners
 Realistic expectations – of yourself, your
staff and project

Let’s get started!
Needs Assessment
Research
Once again, know community – local
information
 Census information – demographics

◦ Regional projections
Research topic (i.e., literacy)
 Include this in the Needs Assessment

Needs Assessment – Examples from
2005
In her 2004 article in the journal, “Nature,” Susan Hezbos
reports that all babies are born with the potential to learn
the sounds and concepts of any language.
• Jennifer Endres, Director of the Prairie du Sac Public Library,
which has a fluent Spanish speaker on staff, writes, “It would
be fantastic to incorporate more ESL with the babies to
better serve our growing Latino population.
• SCLS serves 13% of the population of Wisconsin and
between 1990 and 2000 there was a 139.4% increase in the
number of individuals of Hispanic origin who moved to the 7
counties that comprise the South Central Library System
(2000 Census of Population and Housing).
• “1,2,3… Read with Me” will serve a diverse group of
children ages birth to three and their parents in 22 SCLS
member library communities.
•
Needs assessment: Tell your story
Tell your story
 Describe your community
 Describe the need or problem
 Describe the clientele or target audience
 Show that you’ve done your homework –
that you’ve done your research

Objectives & Evaluation
Objectives
•
•
•
Objectives – measurable outcomes of the
grant project
Measurable by quantitative and qualitative
measures
For special needs & literacy grants, see:
– Adults with Special Needs: A Resource & Planning
Guide for Wisconsin’s Public Libraries
– Youth with Special Needs: A Resource & Planning
Guide for Wisconsin’s Public Libraries
Evaluation

Quantitative
◦ Numbers
◦ It all counts!

Qualitative
◦
◦
◦
◦
Anecdotal
Feedback from target audience
Surveys, interviews, web forms
Touchy-feely stories
Examples of Objectives and
Evaulation
Obj. 4: SCLS and 29 participating libraries recognize
that public library services and programs must be
relevant to at-risk teens and will work with their
partners to create and present programs for at-risk
teens by 10/10
• Quan. eval.: count number of programs for at-risk
teens; count no. of participants at programs for at-risk
teens; count no. of partners
• Qual. eval.: Partners and 29 participating libraries
will complete surveys or provide feedback about the
effectiveness of programs; partners & library staff will
collect anecdotes from participants about programs
for at-risk teens.
•
Planning & Implementation
Activities – example from 2010
LSTA grant






Activities
07/09 – 12/09: Plan for 2010 project – identify target audience & contact partners; Shawn
Brommer will write 2010 LSTA grant; introduce suggestions for working with at-risk teens
at system meetings and appropriate workshops.
01/09 – 03/09: Meet w/partners to plan programs for 2009; identify marketing & publicity
venues, create marketing & publicity packages for part. libraries; plan, schedule & publicize
2 grant workshops; libraries receive grant funds; libraries purchase appropriate resources
to use with target audience in library programs; Brommer & evaluation partners will
create survey materials to be used with program participants; Brommer will work w/WPT
tv to run on-air messages throughout 2010 that encourage teens to visit public libraries.
04/09: Hands-on workshop that introduces ways to work with at-risk teens; libraries will
begin to plan appropriate library programs for at-risk teens.
05/09 – 08/09:Workshop on working with teen parents will be held in early summer;
Brommer will complete & submit 6 month eval.; libraries & partners will publicize new
programs and resources; libraries will begin reaching out to at-risk teens; libraries will
include at-risk teens in library programming; libraries will include at-risk teens in summer
programs.
09/09 – 12/09: Libraries will continue to plan, publicize & present programs (see above);
Brommer & eval. partners will evaluate library programs; part. libraries will report back to
all members on successful program elements; part. libraries will return program eval.
forms and financial docs. to Brommer.
Partners – another example
Cooperating Partners:
 Partners who help identify, plan, present & evaluate programs at libraries:
school districts, UW-Extension, family resource centers, literacy councils,
childcare providers, teen parenting teachers, hospitals & clinics, community
centers, ESL teachers,YMCA. These partners will work with participating
libraries to: 1) reach out to the clients they serve and introduce them to
library services, 2) provide programs for at-risk teens 3) provide off-site
outreach locations for library programs, 4) identify evaluation strategies
and techniques, 5) create evaluation forms, 6) distribute and collect forms
at programs at outreach sites and 7) analyze data.
 Partners who will help publicize cont. ed. workshops & library programs:
WI Public Television, UW-SLIS, Spanish newspapers, community cable
access and local radio stations, UW Extension, Centro Hispano/Centro
Guadalupe, hospitals & clinics. These partners will work with participating
libraries to: 1) reach out to the clients they serve and tell them about
library programs; 2) distribute flyers and incentives encouraging library
visits by target audience; 3) run radio and television PSAs and 4) publicize
library programs through newspaper & newsletter articles. WI Public
Television will run on-air messages encouraging teens to visit libraries with
their children; a Spanish version will run after Spanish language programs.

Budget form
Budget Narrative
Budget narrative – some examples
•
Library Collection (example fro 2005 early literacy
LSTA grant)
– SCLS will distribute $1500 to each participating library to
purchase appropriate early literacy materials for babies &
toddlers and their parents.
– 22 participating libraries x $1500 = $33,000 or 1320 items x $25
= $33,000
– Total LSTA funds = $33,000
•
Contractual Services (example from 2010 at-risk
teens LSTA grant)
– SCLS will coordinate 2 workshops that will introduce methods
for: 1) working with at-risk teens 2) working with pregnant teens
and teen parents.
– Local funds: $500
– LSTA funds: $1000
Abstract
Abstract
Summary
 Public description
 Keep it short
 Consider writing this section last

Abstract - example
Make it official – signature page
Review process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grants are reviewed by your peers
Does it fit grant criteria?
Is it clear and convincing and can progress
be made?
Are objectives and evaluation techniques
clearly stated?
Is the timeline realistic?
Are the appropriate partners involved in the
project?
Is the budget appropriate?
What is the overall merit?
I got the grant! Now what do I do?!
•
•
•
•
Timeline
Publicize it
Evaluation
Recognize IMLS & DLTCL:
– “This publication (product) was supported by (or “in part by”)
Library Services and Technology Act Funds, awarded to the WI
Department of Public Instruction by the Federal Institute of
Museum and Library Services”
•
Change happens
– Report it
– It’s o.k. to request budget revision
Points to consider
Meet ALL grant deadlines
Support letters are permissible and often
show commitment from partners
• Grant proposals are submitted online – fill in
all required fields
• Your peers will be reviewing your grant
proposal
• Use the language of the grant guidelines that
are included in the grant proposal
• Be clear, concise, and as brief as possible
• Name the grant
•
•
Help is available!



SCLS
◦ Consultant staff
◦ System resources
 Foundations page on SCLS resources for public libraries
page(need password)
 Demographics page on SCLS outreach web site
DLTCL
◦ Consultant staff
◦ Webinars, grant writing tips
Your peers who have written successful LSTA grants
Thank you!

Shawn Brommer, SCLS
◦ [email protected]
◦ 608-246-7974