LSTA Grant

The College & Research Division is able to provide financial support via small grants to organizations offering programming of interest to Pennsylvania academic librarians, through LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funding from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If your group is planning a meeting or workshop in Pennsylvania, you may submit an application. The primary requirement is that the event includes educational or professional development for academic librarians. Amounts requested generally should not exceed $2000. Please review the following FAQ for more info on requirements and what to include in the LSTA Funding Request Application form.

LSTA Grant FAQ

• What is an LSTA Grant?
• Must the program appeal only to academic librarians?
• Who can apply for an LSTA Grant?
• How much money can be requested through an LSTA Grant?
• What costs can the LSTA grant cover?
• Are there any costs that the LSTA grant cannot cover?
• If awarded an LSTA grant, does that mean we don’t have to charge attendees?
• How much should we charge for a program or an event?
• Should we charge the same price for PaLA members and nonmembers?
• How do I apply for an LSTA Grant?
• How is the LSTA Grant Request reviewed?
• What should my learning outcomes include?
• If awarded an LSTA Grant, are there certain requirements that must be met if the funds are used?
• Question not answered?

What is an LSTA Grant?

Since 1999, the PaLA College & Research Division has received LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act) funding through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries that enables it to provide financial support via small grants to organizations offering programming of interest to Pennsylvania academic librarians.
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Must the program appeal only to academic librarians?

The LSTA Grants that are administered through PaLA-CRD are primarily for programming that is relevant to academic librarians; however, programs that appeal to a wider audience will also be considered as long as the program includes educational or professional development for academic librarians.  This can include topics that scholarly in nature, such as the research habits of undergraduates; are relevant to all librarians, such as information literacy; or general topics that will enhance an academic librarian’s skill set, such as grant writing.
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Who can apply for an LSTA Grant?

Anyone offering programming that would provide an educational and/or professional development benefit to Pennsylvania academic librarians.  PaLA chapters, divisions and roundtables are highly encouraged to pursue LSTA funding for their programming.
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How much money can be requested through an LSTA Grant?

The amount requested should generally not exceed $2000, although the Board can consider larger requests.  The grant is not meant to fully fund a program, but rather to help keep costs low for attendees.
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What costs can the LSTA grant cover?

Grant dollars can be used for such expenses as speaker’s fees and travel expenses (including speaker’s food costs), publicity, printing, and facility costs.  For honoraria greater than $600, the speaker must complete an IRS W-9 form with their tax identification information, either an EIN or Social Security Number. The W-9 form must be sent to PaLA Headquarters. If a speaker is being reimbursed for their travel, food, hotel expenses, have them complete a Request for Reimbursement for Speaker Expenses form, available here. 
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Are there any costs that the LSTA grant cannot cover?

LSTA grants CANNOT cover the costs of food for attendees; however, food costs for speakers can be covered by LSTA funds.
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If awarded an LSTA grant, does that mean we don’t have to charge attendees?

LSTA grants are not necessarily meant to cover the total costs of a program, but rather to lower the costs for the organization and the attendees.  Additionally, charging a fee to attend a program has proven to be effective in managing attendance.  It can also provide a way for PaLA chapters or committees to raise funds for other expenses.
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How much should we charge for a program or an event?

Much of that will depend on your projected budget (see sample budget ). The program cost to attendees must be enough to insure you bring in enough income to cover all the costs.  Additionally, since LSTA funds cannot cover food expenses, the cost to attend an event must fully cover those expenses.  Adding a modest amount above the cost of the program also allows units to plan for future events and activities.
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Should we charge the same price for PaLA members and nonmembers?

No.  When charging registration fees for a workshop that is NOT fully funded by a LSTA grant (excluding food costs) your organization should charge approximately twice the amount for non-PaLA members as members are charged. Charging different rates for members and nonmembers strengthens the value of PaLA membership and will hopefully generate new memberships. However, if all costs are paid by LSTA, then one fee may be charged (for lunch) since there would be no registration fee for the session.
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How do I apply for an LSTA Grant?

Your organization should fill out an LSTA Funding Request Application form, with sufficient lead time (at least one month before the planned event) for the CRD Board to review the request,  before funds are approved.  Before starting on the form, the organization should have the following:

• Sponsoring Organization Information (name, contact name, phone, email)
• Event Information (event date, location, amount of LSTA funding requested, projected total budget, event purpose and how the event will appeal and be marketed to academic librarians)
• A itemized budget projection for the event (see sample budget )

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How is the LSTA Grant Request reviewed?

The PaLA CRD committee will review and evaluate requests as they are received.  Requests are evaluated on such criteria as learning objectives, relevance to academic librarians, thoroughness of budgetary considerations, and marketing to academic librarians, using a rubric which may  be viewed here. Requesters will be notified within approximately one week from submission.
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What should my learning outcomes include?

Learning outcomes are statements that specify what learners will know or be able to do. Simple learning outcomes include information about both what action the attendees will take (a verb phrase), and what result will come from that action.

Sample
By the end of the workshop attendees will be able to:
describe the differences between major e-book vendors
select the most appropriate vendor for their needs.
explain some of the challenges involved with system set up.

Since the learner’s performance should be measurable, the verb chosen for each outcome statement should be an action verb which results in overt behavior that can be observed and measured (analyze, design, predict, create, apply, demonstrate, compare, critique, assess, etc.). Avoid vague verbs, such as: know, appreciate, understand, become aware of, learn, etc.
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If awarded an LSTA Grant, are there certain requirements that must be met if the funds are used?

Yes, the following are all required if an LSTA Grant is awarded:

• All flyers, announcements, etc. about a workshop that has been sponsored with LSTA funding MUST include this statement:

“This project is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, through the College and Research Division (http://crdpala.org/) of PaLA. Show your appreciation by becoming a member of PaLA! And if you are a member – thank you!”

• Notification of the workshop/conference must be sent to all Pennsylvania academic librarians. This can be done via mailings and/or listserv notifications.  Possible listservs to include:
  • PAMailAll
  • PA-ACADS (Lyrasis)
  • PALCI
  • ACLCP
  • ACRL-DVC
  • ACRL-WPWVC
  • PASSHE (SSHELCO)
  • PSU
  • TCLC
• Following the workshop, in order to receive reimbursement funds, organizers must send the following to the CRD Chair and to PaLA Headquarters:
  • Original receipts for expenses to be covered by LSTA funding must be sent to PaLA HQ for reimbursement, to the attention of Kim Snyder, Education and Finance Manager. If a speaker receives an honorarium over $600, they must fill out a W-9 (IRS) form, which should also be sent to PaLA HQ. If a speaker requires reimbursement for travel, hotel, food, etc. expenses they should also complete a Request for Reimbursement of Speaker Expenses form, available here, and include copies of their receipts.
  • Copies of receipts for all expenses to be covered by LSTA funding must be sent to the CRD Chair, preferably via email (crdpala *at* gmail *dot* com)
  • A copy of the flyer or an electronic announcement must be sent to the CRD Chair
  • A brief online report about the meeting, describing the event/program and summarizing evaluations, must be completed. In addition to the number of attendees, please note how many academic librarians attended.
  • A final expense report (Example Expense Report) must be sent to the CRD Chair for the organization to receive payment

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Your question not answered here?

Send an email to CRD:  crdpala *at* gmail *dot* com.