Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)

Eligible libraries include:

• Pennsylvania public libraries and outlets (including branches and bookmobiles of a local library) that circulate library materials to the public.  These institutions must also receive State Aid directly or through System distribution.
• Public elementary school libraries and media centers
• Public middle and high school libraries and media centers
• Private elementary school libraries and media centers
• Private middle and high school libraries and media centers
• Special education schools
• State operated educational facilities 

Administrative units that are not attached to a local library that is publicly accessible are not eligible for this grant opportunity.  

The purpose of this project is to support community engagement that positions libraries at the center of identifying and responding to emerging needs, particularly in systemically marginalized populations, through a special focus on collections for youth ages birth to 18.  As a result of this project, libraries will be prepared to meet the unique needs of community youth through access to inclusive library collections.  

Eligible purchases include:

• Fiction and non-fiction collections for youth ages birth to 18, including but not limited to the following formats:
  • Print books
  • Audio books
  • e-Books
  • e-Audio books
  • Graphic Novels

Ineligible purchases include: 

• e-Resource library platforms (example: OverDrive, Hoopla) 
• Databases

Please refer to the Grant Fund Restrictions information

This grant will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis; expenses will not be paid directly. Applicants are responsible for any expenses in excess of the award amount. 

According to §9335 (b) (2) of the Education Code (24 PA.C.S.) – Public Library Code, the local library or library system shall annually spend not less than 12% of its operating budget on collections, excluding costs of an unusual, emergency or nonrecurring nature.  In this instance, the Excellent and Equitable Youth Services Local Library Grant is considered as a nonrecurring cost.  This applies only for the Incentive for Excellence level of the Pennsylvania State Aid to Public Libraries Program. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has implemented an online grant application system, eGrants, to simplify and streamline the process of applying for and managing grants. Before you can apply for this grant, you need to complete all the steps to get ready to apply.

The eGrants application can only be accessed through MyPDESuite with a Keystone ID.

Office of Commonwealth Libraries staff will manage the application process through the eGrants system as well as notify applicants of the status of their award. 

All applications must be submitted in eGrants by Monday, May 20, 2024 at Noon. Applications submitted after this date and time will not be accepted or reviewed. Incomplete applications, applications without appropriate documentation attached, and those with expired SAM.gov registrations will not be reviewed as they will be considered ineligible.

Applicants must click the FINAL “Complete Step” button once within the eGrants system before the application is considered submitted for peer review. 

Applicants are encouraged to FULLY review the full application prior to finalizing the submission process. Once submitted, the application workflow step will change to “submitted for peer review.” This is the only notification the applicant will receive that the submission process has been completed. 

Additional tips:

• Use eGrants navigation. DO NOT use browser buttons (i.e., the "Back" button).
• If you allow your screen to sit idle for more than 30 minutes, you will lose the data entered since your last save and will have to re-enter it. Save frequently.
• Avoid using special characters in the fields such as \, /, *, &, %, #, etc.
• Mark all section Complete before clicking the Complete button to submit for review.

 Application Attachments
The system will not accept attachments over 3MB (megabyte).  If you are scanning your attachments, please set the scanner resolution to low. Attachments can only be submitted in WORD, EXCEL and/or PDF formats.  Make sure each document is accurately labeled.

Attachments include:

1.  Uniform Grant Guidance (PDF) policies and procedures

• Cash management procedure
• Bid and procurement procedure (page 51-57 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Conflict of interest policy (page 65-71 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Travel policy (PDF)

 2. Internet Safety Certification (PDF)

Submission Instructions
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s eGrants System is used by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries to facilitate the electronic completion and submission of grant applications as well as the contracted agreements. The Getting Started Guide that covers the basic function of eGrants is available on the right side of the eGrants 'Home' tab.

Once the application is completed, the workflow status should show "Grant Application Received". Seeing "Grant Application Received" is the confirmation that the application has been submitted for review.

To change the workflow status from “Data Entry” to "Grant Application Received”, the Complete Step located at the bottom of the application home page must be clicked. If that button is inactive for you, please make sure all sections of the application are marked as complete. On the application home page, a checkmark will appear next to the section if it’s been marked as complete.

Contact the eGrants help desk at ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov with eGrants system navigation or other technical questions you may have.

After the review process is completed, all applicants will be contacted with the next steps as it pertains to them.

Incomplete applications or those that do not meet the minimum requirements as outlined here will not be reviewed.

Reviewers will use the point values in the rubric below to score each application.

In the event of a tie score, the grant advisor will compare the percent enrollment of economically disadvantaged students and the in the library’s service area as answered in questions 16 in the application. Areas that include schools with high economic disadvantage will be given preference when all other indicators are tied.

In addition to the LSTA Grant Requirements, grant award recipients agree to the following:

• The Library will use the purchased materials for youth services library collections for at least two years upon delivery.
• The Library agrees to attend community of practice sessions as part of the grant project.
• The Library agrees to save all invoices and packing slips for all items purchased for at least three years after project completion.
• The Library agrees to complete the online Impact Report form at the end of the grant project.

Q. Who is the grantee?
A. Libraries/School Libraries/Organizations will be the applicants and will become the Grantee of awarded Excellent and Equitable Youth Services Local Library Grant. All grant agreements are made between the Library/School Library/Organization (Grantee) and OCL, not with any individual.

Q: Who receives the grant funds?
A: As the Library/School Library/Organization is the official grantee, the funds are reimbursed to the Library/School Library/Organization after completion of the activity. If the participant has personally paid for some grant-related expenses, they will need to request reimbursement from the Library/School Library/Organization for those expenses.

Q: Can a main library (or Grantee organization) apply on behalf of a library outlet? 
A: Yes. A Library/School Library/Organization can apply on behalf of more than one Library/School Library/Organization outlet (including branch locations and bookmobiles). In the application, Library/School Library/Organizations will be asked to list out each outlet and will need to provide answers for each outlet, as indicated in the application.  This grant opportunity is meant for individual Library/School Library/Organization buildings and outlets and not intended for organizations at a systems or headquarters level.   

Q. What if my library is not listed as an approved agency when I try to access the online application in eGrants?
A: Send an email to ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov to request to be added to the Excellent and Equitable Services Local Library Grant as an approved agency.

Q. Where I can find the information session webinar?

A. The information session webinar for local library grants can be found in the Pennsylvania Library Staff Academy.

Q. What if my library is not listed as an approved agency when I try to access the online application in eGrants?

A. Send an email to ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov to request to be added to the Excellent and Equitable Services Local Library Grant as an approved agency.

Q. How are funds for this grant dispersed?

A. This grant will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis; expenses will not be paid directly. Applicants are responsible for any expenses in excess of the award amount. 

Q. Are purchases using grant funds eligible for annual collection expenditure requirements according to the Statute? 

A.  According to §9335 (b) (2) of the Education Code (24 PA.C.S.) – Public Library Code, the local library or library system shall annually spend not less than 12% of its operating budget on collections, excluding costs of an unusual, emergency or nonrecurring nature for Incentive for Excellence level of the Pennsylvania State Aid to Public Libraries Program.  In this instance, the Excellent and Equitable Youth Services Local Library Grant is considered as a nonrecurring cost.  

Q.  Does grant income need to be included on the Annual Report for public libraries?

A.  Recipients of Federal grant funds must report project-related reimbursements within a calendar year on the Annual Report.  

Eligible applicants include public libraries in Pennsylvania who are currently registered as a Family Place Library with the national Family Place network and Pennsylvania public libraries that are in current or previous Play & Grow cohorts.

Not sure if your library is a registered Family Place Library? Click here to see if you are listed on the Family Place website.

The purpose of this project is to support existing Pennsylvania Family Place Libraries and Play & Grow Libraries by providing funding for Supplies and Materials to update their childhood/parenting space in the children’s room including toys and collections for very young children and resources for parents. Selected libraries will receive $2,500.00 in reimbursements. Eligible purchases include:

• Toys for the children’s area of the library, including toy fixtures such as train tables, light tables, and wall mounted toys
• Programming supplies including story time rugs, teaching easels, scarves, musical instruments
• Storage units for toys and early childhood programming supplies, including bins and large cabinets
• Furniture that directly supports the Play & Grow or Family Place philosophy, i.e., comfortable adult seating for children's area, changing tables, etc.
• Parenting collection books
• Board books and picture books for ages 0-5

Ineligible purchases include: 

• Food
• Incentives or prizes

Please refer to the Grant Fund Restrictions for additional information on ineligible purchases.

This grant will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis; expenses will not be paid directly. Applicants are responsible for any expenses in excess of the award amount. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has implemented an online grant application system, eGrants, to simplify and streamline the process of applying for and managing grants. Before you can apply for this grant, you need to complete all the steps to get ready to apply.

The eGrants application can only be accessed through MyPDESuite with a Keystone ID.

Office of Commonwealth Libraries staff will manage the application process through the eGrants system as well as notify applicants of the status of their award. 

All applications must be submitted in eGrants by Monday, May 20, 2024 at Noon. Applications submitted after this date and time will not be accepted or reviewed. Incomplete applications, applications without appropriate documentation attached, and those with expired SAM.gov registrations will not be reviewed as they will be considered ineligible.

Applicants must click the FINAL “Complete Step” button once within the eGrants system before the application is considered submitted for peer review. 

Applicants are encouraged to FULLY review the full application prior to finalizing the submission process. Once submitted, the application workflow step will change to “submitted for peer review.” This is the only notification the applicant will receive that the submission process has been completed. 

Additional tips:

• Use eGrants navigation. DO NOT use browser buttons (i.e., the "Back" button).
• If you allow your screen to sit idle for more than 30 minutes, you will lose the data entered since your last save and will have to re-enter it. Save frequently.
• Avoid using special characters in the fields such as \, /, *, &, %, #, etc.
• Mark all section Complete before clicking the Complete button to submit for review.

 Application Attachments
The system will not accept attachments over 3MB (megabyte).  If you are scanning your attachments, please set the scanner resolution to low. Attachments can only be submitted in WORD, EXCEL and/or PDF formats.  Make sure each document is accurately labeled.

Attachments include:

1.  Uniform Grant Guidance (PDF) policies and procedures

• Cash management procedure
• Bid and procurement procedure (page 51-57 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Conflict of interest policy (page 65-71 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Travel policy (PDF)

 2. Internet Safety Certification (PDF)

Submission Instructions
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s eGrants System is used by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries to facilitate the electronic completion and submission of grant applications as well as the contracted agreements. The Getting Started Guide that covers the basic function of eGrants is available on the right side of the eGrants 'Home' tab.

Once the application is completed, the workflow status should show "Grant Application Received". Seeing "Grant Application Received" is the confirmation that the application has been submitted for review.

To change the workflow status from “Data Entry” to "Grant Application Received”, the Complete Step located at the bottom of the application home page must be clicked. If that button is inactive for you, please make sure all sections of the application are marked as complete. On the application home page, a checkmark will appear next to the section if it’s been marked as complete.

Contact the eGrants help desk at ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov with eGrants system navigation or other technical questions you may have.

After the review process is completed, all applicants will be contacted with the next steps as it pertains to them.

Incomplete applications or those that do not meet the minimum requirements as outlined here will not be reviewed.

Reviewers will use the point values in the rubric below to score each application.

In the event of a tie score, the grant advisor will compare the percent enrollment of economically disadvantaged students and the in the library’s service area, as well as the percentage of students who demonstrate on-track performance measured by a locally selected assessment of the state issued Grade 3 English Language Arts as answered in questions 16 and 17 in the application. Schools with high economic disadvantage and low third grade reading schools will be given preference when all other indicators are tied. 

In addition to the LSTA Grant Requirements, grant award recipients agree to the following:

For Family Place Libraries

• The Library will use the purchased materials for early childhood programming, including the Family Place Parent/Child Workshop, for at least two years upon delivery.
• The Library agrees to re-certify as a registered Family Place Library with the national Family Place network for at least two years upon delivery.
• The Library agrees to host at least (2) five-week sessions of Family Place Parent/Child Workshop within the next two years.
• The Library agrees to save all invoices and packing slips for all items purchased for at least three years after project completion.
• The Library agrees to complete the online Impact Report form after their next Family Place Parent/Child Workshop.

For Play & Grow Libraries

• The Library will use the purchased materials for early childhood programming following Play & Grow principles for at least two years upon delivery.
• The Library agrees to save all invoices and packing slips for all items purchased for at least three years after project completion.
• The Library agrees to complete the online Impact Report form after their next Play & Grow programming event.

Q. Where I can find the information session webinar?

A. The information session webinar for local library grants can be found in the Pennsylvania Library Staff Academy.

Q. What if my library is not listed as an approved agency when I try to access the online application in eGrants?

A. Send an email to ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov to request to be added to the Sustaining Sucess Local Library Grant as an approved agency.

Q. Can these funds be used to pay for Family Place Training?

A. No. These funds are for supplies and materials only. If you are interested in applying for funds for professional development, please apply for the Professional Development Mini-Grant.

Please note that all activities must be completed and submitted for reimbursement by May 31, 2025

Eligibility includes:

• Pennsylvania public libraries and outlets (including branches and bookmobiles of a local library). These institutions must also receive State Aid directly or through System distribution.
• Admin Units and District Library Centers that receive State Aid. 

Each organization may apply only once and must choose to pursue either an individual or group learning activity. 

This grant is available to support library workers in their pursuit of professional development and of continuing education hours to meet requirements set forth in the Governor's Council on Library Development's Continuing Education guidelines. 

Eligible purchases may include: 

• Virtual learning experience
• Continuing education course
• Supporting materials for learning experiences (books, workbooks, etc.) 
• In-person learning experience
• Speaker fees (note: honorariums are ineligible) 
• Conference attendance

Ineligible purchases include: 

• Honorariums (note: speaker fees are eligible) 
• Any training that covers topics indicated as ineligible (fundraising, lobbying/advocacy, general library promotion, advertising, or marketing) 
• Warranties and/or subscriptions that expire after the contract ends.
• Food, unless an educational component is associated with the food that is provided.
• Projects already under way or complete at the time of the grant application or before the grant is awarded.
• Supplanting previously available local funds.

This grant will be dispersed on a reimbursement basis; expenses will not be paid directly. Applicants are responsible for any expenses in excess of the award amount. 

All travel related expenses must be the most economical and must adhere to GSA rates. 

Please refer to the Grant Fund Restrictions information for additional restrictions.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has implemented an online grant application system, eGrants, to simplify and streamline the process of applying for and managing grants. Before you can apply for this grant, you need to complete all the steps found in the Get Ready to Apply module.

Please keep in mind the following: 

• The eGrants application can only be accessed through MyPDESuite with a Keystone ID.
• Office of Commonwealth Libraries staff will manage the application process through the eGrants system as well as notify applicants of the status of their award. 
• All applications must be submitted in eGrants by Monday, May 20, 2024 at Noon. Applications submitted after this date and time will not be accepted or reviewed.
• Applicants must click the FINAL “Complete Step” button once, within the eGrants system, before the application is considered submitted for peer review. 
• Applicants are encouraged to FULLY review the full application prior to finalizing the submission process.
• Once submitted, the application workflow step will change to “submitted for peer review.” This is the only notification the applicant will receive that the submission process has been completed. 

Additional tips:

• Use eGrants navigation. DO NOT use browser buttons (i.e., the "Back" button).
• If you allow your screen to sit idle for more than 30 minutes, you will lose the data entered since your last save and will have to re-enter it. Save frequently.
• Avoid using special characters in the fields such as \, /, *, &, %, #, etc.
• Mark all section Complete before clicking the Complete button to submit for review.
   

Application Attachments
The system will not accept attachments over 3MB (megabyte).  If you are scanning your attachments, please set the scanner resolution to low. Attachments can only be submitted in WORD, EXCEL and/or PDF formats.  Make sure each document is accurately labeled.

Attachments include:

1.  Uniform Grant Guidance (PDF) policies and procedures

• Cash management procedure
• Bid and procurement procedure (page 51-57 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Conflict of interest policy (page 65-71 of the UGG Implementation Guide (PDF))
• Travel policy (PDF)

 2. Internet Safety Certification (PDF)

Submission Instructions
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s eGrants System is used by the Office of Commonwealth Libraries to facilitate the electronic completion and submission of grant applications as well as the contracted agreements. The Getting Started Guide that covers the basic function of eGrants is available on the right side of the eGrants 'Home' tab.

Once the application is completed, the workflow status should show "Grant Application Received". Seeing "Grant Application Received" is the confirmation that the application has been submitted for review.

To change the workflow status from “Data Entry” to "Grant Application Received”, the Complete Step located at the bottom of the application home page must be clicked. If that button is inactive for you, please make sure all sections of the application are marked as complete. On the application home page, a checkmark will appear next to the section if it’s been marked as complete.

Contact the eGrants help desk at ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov with eGrants system navigation or other technical questions you may have.

After the review process is completed, all applicants will be contacted with the next steps as it pertains to them.

Incomplete applications or those that do not meet the minimum requirements as outlined here will not be reviewed.

Reviewers will use the point values in the rubric below to score each application.

In the event of a tie score, reviewers will compare the percent of annual budget dedicated to professional development as the tie-breaker. This grant seeks to support libraries and library workers that do not have funding in place for professional development or continuing education efforts. 

In addition to the LSTA Grant Requirements, grant award recipients agree to the following: 

• The Library agrees to save all invoices and packing slips for all items purchased for at least three years after project completion.

Q: Who is the grantee?
A: Libraries/Organizations will be the applicants and will become the Grantee of awarded Professional Development Mini-Grants. The individual staff member attending the professional development event will be referred to as Learner in the application. All grant agreements are made between the library (Grantee) and OCL, not with the individual (or Learner).

Q: Who receives the grant funds?
A: As the library is the official grantee, the funds are reimbursed to the library after completion of the activity and after appropriates have been submitted. If the participant has personally paid for some grant-related expenses, he/she will need to request reimbursement from the library for those expenses.

Q: Can a library (or Grantee) apply on behalf of more than one employee? 
A: At this time, an organization can only apply to receive one award but can choose whether to apply for an individual learning activity (one learner focused on individualized project) or a group learning activity (multiple learners focused on the same project). 

Q. What if my library is not listed as an approved agency when I try to access the online application in eGrants?
A: Send an email to ra-egrantshelp@pa.gov to request to be added to the Professional Development Mini-Grant Local Library Grant as an approved agency.

Q.  Does grant income need to be included on the Annual Report?
A.  Recipients of Federal grant funds must report project-related reimbursements within a calendar year on the Annual Report.  

Q: Do I have to apply for a SAM.gov number before applying? 

A: Yes, all grant applicants must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) Number from System for Award Management (SAM) before applying.