Federal grants are made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. Through LSTA legislation, all fifty State Library Agencies, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories, receive annual appropriations using a population-based formula.
The statutory language of LSTA stipulates that the State Library Agency shall expend the funds for: 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 uses 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; and targeting library and information services to persons having difficulty using a library and to underserved urban and rural communities, including children (birth to age 18) from families with incomes below the poverty level.
The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives uses its annual LSTA appropriation to support a variety of statewide initiatives that further the goals of the LSTA Five Year Plan, such as the Summer Reading Program, Interlibrary Loan, and the Kentucky Talking Book Library. The remainder of the LSTA funds is distributed through competitive and non-competitive grant programs: Fueling the Mind - Preventing Summer Reading Loss, and Library Outreach (Bookmobile support) grants.
All grant opportunities are available on a yearly cycle. Announcement of grant availability is posted on library listservs and the timeline for the grant cycle can be found on the website. Partnership and collaborative projects are especially encouraged.
Staff is available to assist applicants throughout the grant writing process.
General Application Forms
Current Grant Opportunities
Additional Federal Grants Information
Questions or feedback should be sent via email to Beth Milburn, KDLA Deputy Commissioner,
beth.milburn@ky.gov