Arizona LSTA General Grants

The Arizona LSTA General Grants program provides competitive federal Library Services and Technology Act funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered in Arizona by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. The grants support the State Library's IMLS-approved Five-Year Plan and allow Arizona libraries to develop new or continuing services within LSTA purposes and priorities. General Grants provide greater flexibility than the separately offered Express Grants and support projects in four areas: Information Preservation and Access, Informal Education, Institutional Improvements, and Inclusive Communities. Information Preservation and Access supports preservation, stewardship, and equitable access to information; Informal Education supports lifelong learning and life literacies; Institutional Improvements supports technology resources, staff skills, programs, and collections while addressing access barriers; and Inclusive Communities supports community engagement, organizational connections, partnerships, and community well-being. General Grants are competitive project grants rather than support for ordinary library operations. Examples of supported activities include digitization and preservation, e-content expansion, improved access for people with disabilities, resource sharing, digital-skills training, early-literacy and reading programs, employment support, nutrition programs, community conversations, programs for underserved populations, teleservices, voter engagement, and museum partnerships. Allowable costs may include salaries and benefits for temporary personnel hired specifically for the project, consulting or contractual services, project-related furnishings, hardware, software and technology, indirect costs, library materials, postage, printing, supplies, and project-related travel or training. General operating costs such as major infrastructure upgrades, replacement computers, vehicles and trailers, and furnishings or electronic devices unrelated to a specific project are not supported. Unallowable project costs include apparel, bad debts, construction, contingencies, contributions and donations, entertainment, fines and penalties, food, gifts, models and souvenirs, interest and other financial costs, existing staff salaries and benefits, and under-recovery of costs under other grant agreements. Local funds, whether in-kind or cash, are required. The required match may vary and does not have to equal the LSTA award on a 1:1 basis, but matching contributions must be allowable under LSTA and specifically allocable to the project. General Grants have no established minimum or maximum award amount. The guidelines state that a typical General Grant award ranges from $5,000 to $50,000. Awards are subject to the availability of federal funding. Applicants must be eligible Arizona libraries. All libraries must be located in Arizona, operate on an established schedule with regular posted hours during which trained staff services are available to the public, provide free access to an organized collection within their service area, and submit State Library reports completely, accurately, and on time. Additional requirements apply to specific library types. Eligible academic libraries serve public colleges or universities; institutional libraries are governmental or publicly funded secure facilities housing incarcerated individuals; public libraries meet applicable public-funding or nonprofit and statutory requirements; school libraries serve Arizona public or charter schools and are managed by certificated school librarians; special libraries serve governmental units or nonprofit organizations and meet professional management requirements; and tribal libraries are recognized and supported by an Arizona tribal government. General Grant applicants complete the online application, and the State Library strongly recommends drafting responses separately because the online application cannot be saved. The application addresses Needs Assessment, Project Outcomes, Project Activities, Project Evaluation, Project Personnel, Partners, Timeline and Schedule of Activities, Sustainability, Project Summary, Budget Justification, Budget, Risk Assessment, and Certification of Application. Applicants must identify project personnel and a project director, provide a resume for any consultant for whom LSTA funding is requested, and provide letters of support from institutional partners. Applicants must also supply a Unique Entity Identifier. Applications are evaluated on the clarity of the project, alignment with Arizona LSTA Five-Year Plan goals, evidence of community need, quality and realism of the project plan, appropriateness of personnel and financial resources, potential for significant and sustainable community impact, realistic scheduling, desired outcomes, and applicant capacity. The application and certification deadline for the 2026 General Grant cycle was April 10, 2026, with applications required no later than 11:59 PM. Awards were scheduled to be announced May 15, 2026, subject to federal funding availability. May 22, 2026 was the earliest date funds could be requested and the date of the Grant Recipients Workshop. General Grant recipients must attend a Grant Recipients Workshop or webinar before funds are released. Fund requests must be submitted between May 22, 2026 and June 30, 2027, and funds generally take 30 to 45 days to be disbursed after a request. Projects must be completed and funds fully encumbered by August 6, 2027. Final reports are due and funds must be fully expended by September 3, 2027. Pre-award costs are not reimbursable. Grant recipients are responsible for administering awards in accordance with LSTA statutory and regulatory requirements, applicable Arizona requirements, and the approved proposal and budget. Prior approval is required for deviations from the approved budget and significant changes in project scope, objectives, project management, or other key personnel. Project publications and promotional materials must acknowledge the Arizona State Library and federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Grants Consultant monitors projects during the grant year. Questions regarding particular General Grant categories may be directed through libdev@azsos.libanswers.com, with Mary Villegas identified for Information Preservation and Access, Donna Throckmorton for Informal Education, and Megan Hammond for Inclusive Communities. The overall Library Development office can also be reached at 602-542-6200.

Clearly align the project with an Arizona LSTA Five-Year Plan goal and substantiate the identified community need through community conversations, surveys, publicly available data, or other evidence. Clearly connect activities and products to intended outcomes and specify evaluation methods. Build a thoughtful and realistic plan with appropriate personnel, financial resources, and an achievable schedule. Demonstrate capacity to execute the project and explain its potential sustainable community impact. Prepare responses in a separate document before entering them into the online application because the application cannot be saved.