Career Enrichment Program
Due to budgetary constraints, the State Library will not be able to provide Career Enrichment awards for conference attendance during fiscal year 2009-2010.
For alternative funding sources, check the conference or association’s web page and look for information about awards, grants, or scholarships. Also check out the LISjobs web page about conference funding: http://www.lisjobs.com/careers/conference-funding.asp
What is the program and its purpose?
The Career Enrichment Program enables library staff from North Carolina public, school, academic and special libraries to attend selected professional conferences. Supporting the continuing education and career enrichment of library staff leads directly to improved services to the people of North Carolina. This program is now in its fifth year of funding conference attendance and is made available through funds appropriated from the General Assembly through the Department of Cultural Resources to the State Library of North Carolina.
Funds may be used to cover three major expenses (conference registration, lodging, and transportation). The maximum reimbursement amount is $750. The federal government considers an award of $600 or more to be taxable income.
Reimbursement funds will be awarded to support library staff attendance at the following professional conferences during the spring season of 2009:
| Spring Conferences | Conference Dates |
| Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), Seattle, WA | 03/12-03/15/09 |
| Computers in Libraries (CIL), Arlington, VA | 03/30-04/01/09 |
| Public Library Association Spring Symposium (PLA), Nashville, TN | 04/02-04/04/09 |
| Library & Information Technology Assoc. Camp (LITA), Dublin, OH | 05/07-05/08/09 |
| VA Library Assoc. Paraprofessional Conference (VLA), Richmond, VA | 05/17-05/19/09 |
If a professional conference occurring between January and mid-May 2009 is not listed above, you may request funding for attendance. Your response to the application question about attendance at this conference must clearly demonstrate a potential benefit to the users in your library community. Please see the online application for complete instructions. The Spring 2009 season is now closed.
Who may apply?
This program is open to individuals who meet all of the following criteria:
- Did NOT receive a Career Enrichment award during the 2007-2008 program;
- Are full- or part-time, paid library staff (Friends, trustees, and volunteers are not eligible);
- Are employed by any of the following eligible North Carolina libraries:
- public libraries that qualify for grants from the Aid to Public Libraries Fund;
- community college libraries;
- libraries serving the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina (which includes libraries serving the Area Health Education Centers and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics);
- libraries serving the member institutions of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities;
- public schools with a qualified school library media center*;
- qualifying state agency libraries*;
- qualifying special libraries*.
*To be eligible for funds, a library must meet these basic requirements:
- be at least 51% publicly funded, or not-for-profit;
- be headed by a trained library professional (school libraries must be headed by a full-time certified school media coordinator; all other libraries must be headed by a person with an MLS);
- have a cataloged collection of information resources, designated space, a materials budget, and be open a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Additional requirements exist based on the type of library. See the Eligibility (pdf) documentation for more information. Not sure if your library is eligible? Contact Jeffrey Hamilton, Library Development, State Library of North Carolina (919-807-7417 or jeffrey.hamilton@ncdcr.gov).
How may funds be used?
Allowable expenditures that will be reimbursed include:
- Conference registration only
- Lodging (+taxes/fees) only
- Round trip airfare, train fare, or mileage in a personal vehicle at state rates; as of July 2008, the rate is $.33/mile
The following expenditures are ineligible for funding:
- Pre-conference or post-conference sessions
- Miscellaneous activities associated with the conference such as author luncheons, local tours, banquets, concerts, etc.
- Renewal of membership or new membership fees
- Lodging costs such as telephone/Internet access, room service, overnight parking, etc.
- Mileage to and from an airport or train station, parking/taxi fees
- Tips/gratuities
- Equipment
- Supplies
- Shipping of materials
What is the review process?
- To be eligible for review, online applications and supplemental documents must be received by the end of the day on the application due date.
- Only complete applications from eligible individuals will be reviewed.
- State Library staff will evaluate eligible applications according to the selection guidelines below.
- No appeals of funding decisions will be considered.
- All applicants will receive individual notification.
What is the basis for selecting applicants for funding?
$50,000 is available for this project in 2008-2009. Half of this total will be allocated for each of the two cycles (September-December and January-May). Any funds not disbursed for the fall cycle will be carried over to the spring cycle.
In order to be considered, applications must be:
- submitted by the due date,
- be complete,
- contain clear and accurate proposed expenses,
- clearly demonstrate how your anticipated attendance at this conference will benefit your library users and you professionally.
Applications will be prioritized as follows:
- High priority: applicants who will attend this conference for the first time.
- Medium priority: applicants who have not attended the conference within the past two years.
- Low priority: applicants who have attended the conference in the previous two years.
If funds are sufficient, all eligible applications will be funded. If not, the following process will be used to award the funds.
- First, all applicants in the high priority group will be considered. If there is not enough money to fully fund the high priority group, a lottery system will be used to award the funds.
- If funds remain after the high priority group is funded, then all applicants in the medium priority group will be considered. If there is not enough money to fully fund the medium priority group, a lottery system will be used to award the funds.
- If funds remain after the medium priority group is funded, then all applicants in the low priority group will be considered. If there is not enough money to fully fund the low priority group, a lottery system will be used to award the funds.
How are award payments disbursed?
- Individuals pay all expenses out-of-pocket and will be reimbursed in one payment after returning from the conference.
- Total reimbursement will be based upon actual receipts and may be higher or lower than those provided on the proposed expenses worksheet; no award will exceed the maximum of $750.
- Receipts, containing your printed name, are required for registration, lodging, airfare, and train fare.
- Individuals must submit their request for reimbursement within 2 weeks of attending the conference.
- Costs will be reimbursed following State of North Carolina guidelines.
- To receive reimbursement each recipient must provide a completed IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification), which is kept on file by the Department of Cultural Resources (DCR).
- Payments of $600 or more will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service on IRS Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income. The IRS considers this payment to be taxable income.
- Award recipients will receive a reimbursement check, via U.S. postal mail, approximately four weeks after submitting a complete reimbursement packet.
What reports must award recipients make?
As part of the evaluation process for this program, all award recipients must complete a follow-up survey. Approximately two months after the conference, recipients will complete an online survey about the impact of conference attendance on library user services and programs.
What are the application procedures?
In addition to submitting the online application form, the following supplemental documents must be received on or before the application deadline. Faxed documents are acceptable.
- Signature page (all applicants); this page should appear automatically in your browser after submitting an online application.
- Eligibility certification (only K-12, state agency, and special library applicants).
By Fax:
919-733-8748
Attn: Career Enrichment Program Applications
By US Postal Service:
Career Enrichment Program Applications
Library Development Section
State Library of North Carolina
4640 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-4640
By commercial service (e.g. FedEx, UPS) or hand delivery:
Career Enrichment Program Applications
Library Development Section
State Library of North Carolina
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
The online application, with supporting documents, must be received by the end of the day on the application deadline to be eligible for consideration.
For further information: Contact Jeffrey Hamilton, Library Development, at 919-807-7417 or jeffrey.hamilton@ncdcr.gov
