Library Services and Technology Act Grant

The Library Services and Technology Act Grant is administered in Florida by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, which is the state library administrative agency designated to receive and administer federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. LSTA is a federal, state-based library grant program focused on access to information through technology, information empowerment through specialized services, interlibrary cooperation, partnerships among library types, accountability, and evaluation. Florida's program is based on federal LSTA purposes and priorities together with the goals and outcomes in the state's Library Services and Technology Act long-range plan. Proposed projects must clearly align with both the federal LSTA purposes and Florida's long-range plan. Eligible projects may expand access to information and educational resources in multiple formats; support education, lifelong learning, workforce development, and digital literacy; improve electronic or other linkages among libraries and organizations; provide training and professional development for the library workforce; recruit future library professionals; build public and private partnerships; target services to underserved populations, individuals with disabilities, people with limited literacy or information skills, and underserved urban or rural communities; improve collaborative access to information; support literacy and lifelong learning; encourage resource sharing; and preserve knowledge and library collections. Project funds are intended for direct support of services and programs for the target audience and may support evaluation, accessibility-related technology and information resources, allowable travel, and indirect costs under applicable federal rules. Project funds may not be used for construction, certain audit costs, food, vehicle purchases or continuous vehicle leases, activities prohibited by law, or activities related to a library association except as allowed for qualifying library cooperatives. Florida libraries and nonprofit organizations primarily related to the provision or support of library services may apply. Eligible applicants include public libraries, certain correctional institution libraries, public elementary, secondary and charter school libraries through the appropriate school board, academic libraries, specified multitype library cooperatives, special libraries, and nonprofit organizations that strengthen and support libraries. Applicants must satisfy the program's professional library leadership and public access or Florida Library Information Network requirements when applicable. Nonprofit organizations must be qualified or registered under Chapter 617, Florida Statutes, and in good standing. Applicants may not be in noncompliance with a previously awarded Department of State grant or owe the Department grant funds that the Department has determined must be refunded. Applications must be submitted electronically through the DOS Grants System at dosgrants.com. The application requests organizational and contact information, a UEI, Internet Safety Education Program status, Rural Economic Development Initiative eligibility status, project priority, targeted user groups, service area, and a project summary. Narrative sections address the applicant and its context, target population and unmet need, relationship to the applicant's long-range plan or mission, project partners, key activities, outputs, resources, project timeline, publicity, sustainability, evaluation, and budget. Budget entries must include detail and narratives showing how grant and matching amounts were calculated. Required or conditional attachments include the Debarment Form, FFATA form, Internet Safety Certification for public libraries, Lobbying Activities Form when applicable, Trafficking in Persons certification for qualifying private entities, Certificate of Status for applicable nonprofits, MLS Certification when required, and optional support materials. For requests of less than $10,000 in federal grant funds, no matching funds are required. Other projects must generally provide local matching funds equal to at least one-third of the federal funds requested or awarded. Match may be cash or in-kind and may include documented project-related expenditures by partners, but it must be specific to the project, incurred during the project period, and may not be counted toward more than one project. Other federal grant funds and volunteer time may not be used as match. Libraries in qualifying rural counties or communities may request a match waiver at the time of application, and statewide projects coordinated by the Division may also receive a waiver. Competitive projects have no stated minimum or maximum grant amount in the guidelines. Statewide applicants are provided a maximum amount by Division staff for the applicable project, and no project may receive more than it requested. Applications are reviewed first by Grants staff for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applications then proceed to State Library Council review. Statewide projects are reviewed but not scored, while competitive projects are scored on Project Need, Project Impact, and Project Implementation, with up to 30 points in each category. Public libraries may receive 9 additional Internet Safety Education points when all statutory criteria are met. Competitive applications averaging at least 60 points before the Internet Safety Education points are added may advance to the funding round. The State Library Council makes funding recommendations, and the Secretary of State has final authority to approve, amend, or deny those recommendations. The application period opened June 1, 2026, and applications were due July 10, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern through dosgrants.com. Division staff assistance was available June 1 through July 10, 2026. Projects begin upon execution of the grant agreement and end September 30, 2027. Mid-year reports are due May 15, 2027, and final reports are due November 1, 2027. Grant assistance is available from Grants Staff at GrantsOffice@dos.fl.gov or 850.245.6620.

Substantiate the target population and unmet need with information, statistics, input and examples; clearly connect activities to the identified need; describe activities from beginning to end with a realistic implementation timeline; provide an adequate publicity plan and sufficient resources; ensure the budget is realistic, tied to project activities and shows how every grant and matching amount was calculated; competitive applications must average at least 60 points before Internet Safety Education points to advance to funding consideration; public libraries that meet all Internet Safety Education criteria can receive 9 additional points; applicants may submit drafts to Division staff for review before the deadline