New mandate requires libraries seeking funds from federal grant-making agencies to register and apply via Grants.gov
Contact: Lainie Castle
Project Director, PPO
312-280-5055
lcastle@ala.org
For Immediate Release
September 20, 2007
New mandate requires libraries seeking funds from federal
grant-making agencies to register and apply via Grants.gov
Early registration recommended for upcoming PPO traveling exhibit grants
CHICAGO – The American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Programs Office (PPO) announced today that libraries planning to apply for its federally funded library programming grants will be required to register and apply through Grants.gov (
http://www.grants.gov). This new federal mandate will affect libraries that apply for future traveling exhibit grants and other federally funded projects that include a cash grant component. Applicants for federally funded grants without a cash component, such as the “We the People” Bookshelf, will not be required to apply via grants.gov.
Grants.gov is a “unified electronic storefront” created to facilitate interactions between grant applicants and the 26 federal grant-making agencies that offer grant funds. The registration process can take approximately two-weeks to complete, and typically requires the involvement of an organization’s chief financial officer or other authorizing official. PPO strongly urges early registration, particularly for public, academic and special libraries interested in applying to host upcoming traveling exhibitions on themes such as John Adams and African Americans in Baseball, as well as library outreach programs related to the WPA Writers’ Project. Further details on these projects will be announced in October.
To assist libraries with the Grants.gov registration process, PPO has posted instructions, a checklist, technical requirements, FAQs and more on its Web site at
www.ala.org/publicprograms. From the PPO Web site, librarians can also access a wiki about Grants.gov registration to share feedback and post questions for colleagues. Problems with registration, including technical questions and difficulties, should be directed to the Grants.gov helpline at 1-800-518-4726.
Public, academic, school and special libraries will only be required to complete registration via Grants.gov once, and may then apply for future grant opportunities offered by any federal agency. Please visit
www.grants.gov for complete information and to sign up for e-mail alerts about grant opportunities that may be of interest to your library.
Established in 1992, the ALA Public Programs Office has a strong track record of developing library programming initiatives, including the acclaimed reading and discussion series "Let's Talk About It," film discussion programs on humanities themes, traveling exhibitions, LIVE! @ your library®, and other programs. Recently, it established the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment created to help all types of libraries across the country bring communities together through cultural programming (
http://www.ala.org/ccf). The Public Programs Office serves more than 3,000 libraries and two million library users annually through its library programming initiatives. For more information, please visit
www.ala.org/publicprograms.
