Notice to Grantees: Please be aware that, due to Executive Orders and OMB guidance regarding potentially unallowable grant payments, IMLS is taking additional measures to process payments. Reviews of applicable programs and payments may result in delays or other actions.

Application: Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries was a special initiative of the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program, 2018-2020. This funding opportunity is no longer offered.
Grant Amount: $10,000–$50,000
Grant Period: Two years
Cost Share Requirement: None

Program Overview:
Accelerating Promising Practices for Small Libraries (APP) was a special initiative of the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program. The goal of this initiative was to support projects that strengthen the ability of small and/or rural libraries and archives to serve their communities and to build grantee capacity through participation in a community of practice. IMLS invited applications that focused on the following topics:

  • transforming school library practice
  • community memory
  • digital inclusion

Program Status:
APP was a pilot initiative launched in 2018 as a commitment to support small and rural libraries. After two pilot years, a program evaluation is underway to understand how this funding opportunity met the needs of these organizations, and how IMLS can best serve grantees and their communities.

Program Contacts:If you have general questions, please contact imls-librarygrants@imls.gov.