Funding Opportunity: Libraries Strengthening Connections

Purpose

The State Library of North Carolina is excited to announce Libraries Strengthening Connections, a special grant opportunity for eligible North Carolina libraries. These funds will help libraries to support and increase digital literacy skills and services for public library staff and users.

This program invites applications that will allow libraries to improve library operations through services that support efforts for North Carolina residents to successfully identify, navigate and interact with digital technology. Funding is available for programs designed to increase access to digital services and resources, promote adoption and meaningful use, and improve digital literacy skills for all.

Funds

Maximum funds available to each library for the Libraries Strengthening Connections grant is $80,000.00. No matching funds are required for this program.

Eligible libraries

North Carolina public and tribal libraries may apply for the Libraries Strengthening Connections Grant Program.

Funding Priorities

This project is funded with a federal award from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 and was appropriated to the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT). NCDIT awarded funds for digital literacy programs across the state and to the State Library of North Carolina.

This funding is to allow communities to be better equipped to fully engage in society, democracy, and the economy by enabling libraries and staff with the required infrastructure and resources.

Funding will support a digital program or service that meets a specific need.  Eligible applications will support a program or service in which library staff can transfer knowledge and skills learned to real digital problems where:

• Residents can acquire digital and information gathering skills and understanding to meet their personal needs and the state’s workforce needs;
• Promote practices that leverage tools to ensure online privacy and security; or
• Residents have access to digital devices and resources to meet their needs

Program Outcomes

Library staff  will provide point-of-service support to meet the digital needs of their community members and work in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The outcomes will identify changes in skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors for staff and users.

• Library staff will identify, navigate, and successfully interact with digital technology.
• Library staff will be confident in their ability to navigate and interact with digital technology and users.  
• Library staff will transfer knowledge and skills learned during training to real digital problems.
• Library staff will identify digital navigation and support resources in the community and refer individuals to those resources.
• Library staff will recognize the value of their work toward meeting the digital needs of the individuals
• Users will identify, navigate, and successfully interact with digital technology.
• Users be confident in their ability to navigate and interact with digital technology.
• Users will access available library digital resources.
• Users will be confident and welcome in public library spaces.

Allowable Expenses

This grant supports the use of funds to support the activities in the project.  Example costs are shown below. This list is not exhaustive.  If you have questions about costs that are not on this list, please reach out to: catherine.prince@dncr.nc.gov .

Unallowable Expenses

• Bookmobile/mobile libraries/outreach vehicles
• Consultant costs
• eMaterials, including eBooks, eAudio, and eVideo and other collection development
• Activities or programs about advocacy, grant writing, or lobbying with a purpose of increasing funding and/or whose primary purpose is to establish a general message that 'libraries are good places and deserve to exist';
• Architectural plans for existing or new buildings;
• Construction or pre-construction planning;
• Construction or renovation of facilities with the exclusion of wiring upgrades (generally, any activity involving contract labor in the construction trades is not allowable);
• Conventional arrangement, description, or cataloging of materials;
• Costs associated with content management systems (such as CONTENTdm);
• Digitizing runs of newspapers;
• Events, festivals, or acquisition of collections;
• Fundraising costs;
• General advertising or public relations costs not specific to LSC-funded activities;
• General operating support;  
• Pre-award costs;
• Promotional items and memorabilia including gifts, incentives, and souvenirs;
• Refreshments, entertainment, ceremonies, receptions, or social events;
• Sub-awards; and
• Other expenses prohibited by state or federal regulations.

Important Dates

• Two application deadlines
  • October 31, 2025
  • November 30, 2025
• Grant period starts upon issuance of award and full execution of grant agreement, no earlier than November 14, 2025
• Grant period ends June 30, 2026
• Final reimbursements due July 15, 2026
• Final Report Due August 15, 2026

Criteria

Only complete applications will be reviewed.  Complete applications include all required information. Applications received after 11:59 pm on the final deadline will not be considered.

Grant reviewers will score applications using a rubric.

Application

Applications will be submitted via the SLNC GMS.

Apply Now

For questions on this program please contact catherine.prince@dncr.nc.gov.