LTC: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries Site Support Notebook - General Information
Your ALA Contacts
If you have questions, please contact:
- ALA Public Programs Office, publicprograms@ala.org
- For general grant and project questions or budget changes
- Samantha Oakley, Program Manager, soakley@ala.org
- For questions about project evaluation and/or requests about major project changes
- Sarah Ostman, Deputy Director, sostman@ala.org
- For questions about communications and marketing
Important Dates
Round One:
- January 6, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Orientation Webinar
- January 13, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Marketing and Communications Webinar
- January 15, 2021: Deadline to set up the two necessary accounts (ALA Connect and ALA eLearning)
- By January 29, 2021: Distribution of $3,000 grant
- February 1, 2021 – July 31, 2021: Project implementation period
- May 5, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Reporting and Evaluation Webinar
- September 30, 2021: Final report due to ALA in Foundant
- February 28, 2022: Deadline for spending down grant funds
You can download the Round 1 LTC Checklist to help keep track of important dates and grant requirements.
Round Two:
- April 21, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Orientation Webinar
- April 27, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Marketing and Communications Webinar
- April 30, 2021: Deadline to set up the two necessary accounts (ALA Connect and ALA eLearning)
- By April 30, 2021: Distribution of $3,000 grant
- May 1, 2021 – October 31, 2021: Project implementation period
- May 5, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Reporting and Evaluation Webinar
- December 31, 2021: Final report due to ALA in Foundant
- February 28, 2022: Deadline for spending down grant funds
You can download the Round 2 LTC Checklist to help keep track of important dates and grant requirements.
Round Three:
- November 3, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Orientation Webinar
- November 10, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Marketing and Communications Webinar
- November 15, 2021: Deadline to set up the two necessary accounts (ALA Connect and ALA eLearning)
- November 17, 2021, at 1 p.m. CT: Reporting and Evaluation Webinar
- By November 30, 2021: Distribution of $3,000 grant
- December 1, 2021 – May 31, 2022: Project implementation period
- By June 30, 2022: Final report due to ALA in Foundant; all grant funds spent down
You can download the Round 3 LTC Checklist to help keep track of important dates and grant requirements.
Online Platforms You Will Use during This Grant
Over the course of this grant, you will need access to three online platforms.
- ALA's grants management platform is the platform you used to submit your application electronically. You will also use it to submit your final report. Log in using the same username and password that you used for your application.
- ALA Connect is an online platform for discussion and collaboration between ALA members. Whether you are an ALA member or not, LTC project directors will use this platform to communicate throughout the grant. Once you are a member of the discussion list, you will automatically receive any message a member sends to the list and may make posts yourself. You will need to create a free ALA Connect account in order to access the LTC discussion group (be sure to agree to the terms and conditions to complete activation). You will receive an email invitation to join the LTC group when it launches. See detailed instructions here.
- ALA eLearning is the platform you will use to access the required LTC e-course. You will need to create a free log-in and password to access the course. See detailed instructions here.
Questions about the any of the platforms? Contact Elena Pepe-Salutric at epepesalutric@ala.org.
Round One Webinars
- Orientation Webinar (January 6, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
- Marketing and Communications Webinar (January 13, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here and can download the Q&A from the session here.
- Reporting and Evaluation Webinar (rescheduled for May 5, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
Round Two Webinars
- Orientation Webinar (April 21, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
- Marketing and Communications Webinar (April 27, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
- Reporting and Evaluation Webinar (May 5, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
Round Three Webinars
- Orientation Webinar (November 3, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
- Marketing and Communications Webinar (November 10, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
- Reporting and Evaluation Webinar (November 17, 2021): If you were not able to attend the live session or would like to review, you can access the recording here.
Required Reporting
Grantees should log in to Foundant to add information about all scheduled programs and activities as data become available. The required annual report asks grantees to share information about the programs and activities they have conducted and respond to narrative questions by reflecting on the library’s experience.
All reports must be finalized by September 30, 2021 for Round One grantees, December 31, 2021 for Round Two grantees, and June 30, 2022 for Round Three grantees. Reminders will be sent prior to reporting deadlines.
- Round 1 and Round 2 Report Form:
- Round 3 Report Form:
Spending Grant Funds
LTC: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries grant funds are restricted to the project related expenses you outlined in the budget section of your proposal. These expenses may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Library staff time
- Purchase of books or other collection materials
- Tech equipment (e.g. virtual meeting licenses, iPads, Wi-Fi hotspots, etc.)
- Project supplies (e.g. markers, index cards, post-its, etc)
- Additional facilitation training for library staff (e.g. equity, diversity and inclusion facilitation skills training)
- Payment to project partners for reimbursement or direct funding of services and support provided (e.g. childcare providers, translators, instructors, co-facilitator, etc.)
- Promotion and publicity
- Purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies
Please note that grant funds may not be used to support indirect costs (e.g. general library administrative expenses) or as donations to other organizations.
If your project or budget changes from what you proposed: Please be sure to submit a request for program changes or budget variances over 10% in writing to ALA by emailing publicprograms@ala.org.
Participating in the Grant Evaluation
ALA is working with Knology, an independent project evaluator who is tasked with analyzing the overall impact and effectiveness of the LTC: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries initiative. To help them measure this, you may be asked to tell them a bit about how your community engagement project is going. This may be done through invitations to complete short surveys or participate in phone interviews. These requests will be kept minimal and designed in a way to not take up a lot of your time. If you have any questions about the evaluation process, please contact Samantha Oakley (soakley@ala.org).
Next page: Online Learning and Your LTC Conversations