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ALA: Grants for Disability Services

photo of person using wheelchair
Photo by Marcus Aurelius on Pexels.com

Libraries need to be accessible and to be ready to serve every member of their communities. If you do not have patrons in wheelchairs, or who are deaf, or working with other disabilities – why not? They surely exist in your community.

Every library can do more to make their services and buildings and websites more accessible. But it’s hard to know where to start, and few libraries have a bunch of extra money just sitting around.

So, this is your opportunity to grab some grant money! The American Library Association has some grant opportunities specifically aimed at many of our library members: small and rural.

  • If you haven’t written a grant before – talk to me! I am happy to help you to make some plans, and to go for some money to make them happen.
  • If you aren’t an ALA member – I am! And I will work to apply for your community, so you can have access to making your library service stronger.

Check out the material from the ALA, and let’s get started!!

The American Library Association (ALA) invites applications from small and rural libraries for the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant to help them better serve people with disabilities.

Selected libraries will receive $10,000 or $20,000 to support costs related to their community engagement project; virtual training to assist project directors in developing their community engagement, facilitation, and disability service skills; a suite of online resources developed to support local programs; and technical and project support from the ALA Public Programs Office.

Library workers may apply online for grant funding from November 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. Up to 300 libraries will be awarded in this application period. For help with the application, view a recording of a November 8 informational webinar.

To be eligible, a library must be located in an area that’s more than, or equal to, five miles from an urbanized area and with a population of 25,000 or less, in keeping with Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) definitions of small and rural libraries.