Alaska public libraries and combined school public libraries may apply for the Public Library Assistance grant each year. In order to receive this grant, the library must continue to meet a variety of ongoing eligibility requirements. Grant funds may be used to pay staff, purchase library materials, or pay for any other daily operating cost of the library.
The PLA Grant application period starts January 1st, 2024 and applications are due by April 1st, 2024.
All libraries that receive a Public Library Assistance grant are required to complete the Public Libraries Annual Report online. You will receive an email with your access information around July 15. Reports are due by September 1.
In 2021, IMLS massively revised the public programming statistics. Program numbers should be divided into five age groups: children ages 0-5, children ages 6-11, children ages 12-18, adults age 19 and older, and general interest programs for people of all ages. Program numbers for live (synchronous) and recorded (asynchronous), as well as by delivery method (in-person onsite, in-person offsite, and virtual). The new program numbers will be submitted for the first time in 2022, so all libraries should collect this information during the current reporting period.
| Number of Programs by Age Group | Attendance at Programs |
|---|---|
| Number of Synchronous (live) Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 0-5 | Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 0-5 |
| Number of Synchronous (live) Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 6-11 | Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 6-11 |
| Number of Synchronous (live) Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 12-18 | Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions Targeted at Children Ages 12-18 |
| Number of Synchronous (live) Programs Targeted at Adults Age 19 and Older | Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions Targeted at Adults Age 19 and Older |
| Number of Synchronous (live) Programs General Interest (For People of All Ages) | Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions General Interest (For People of All Ages) |
| Total Number of Synchronous Program Sessions | Total Attendance at Synchronous Program Sessions |
| Number of Programs by Delivery Method | Attendance at Programs |
| Number of Synchronous In-Person Onsite (At Library) Program Sessions | Attendance at Synchronous In-Person Onsite (At Library) Program Sessions |
| Number of Synchronous In-Person Offsite Program Sessions | Attendance at Synchronous In-Person Offsite Program Sessions |
| Number of Synchronous Virtual Program Sessions | Attendance at Synchronous Virtual Program Sessions |
| Number of Asynchronous Program Presentations | Total Views of Asynchronous Program Presentations within 7 Days |
| Definitions: | |
|
A synchronous (live) program is any planned event which introduces the group attending to library services or which provides information to participants. Program sessions may cover use of the library, library services, or library tours. Program sessions may also provide cultural, recreational, or educational information. Examples of these types of programs include, but are not limited to, film showings, lectures, story times, literacy programs, citizenship classes, and book discussions. Do not include: Programs sponsored by other groups that use library facilities, off-site outreach events that do not meet the definition of a program, like library card signup booth at a farmer's market, one-on-one activities like tutoring or services to homebound, self-directed activities that do not occur at a scheduled time. |
An asynchronous program presentation is any recording of program content that cannot be viewed live as it unfolds (i.e., on-demand streaming). Only include program presentations posted during the reporting period. Regardless of the number of platforms on which a presentation is posted, count each unique presentation only once. Include program sessions hosted on Facebook Premiere that are not facilitated by a staff member. Count asynchronous program presentations at the administrative entity level; do not duplicate numbers at each branch. Include recordings of synchronous program sessions that were available for asynchronous viewing after the session ended. The count of views of asynchronous programs for a period of seven (7) days after the presentation was posted, even if that period extends beyond the survey reporting period (or fiscal year). For program presentations made available via Facebook, count unique 1-minute views of each video. For those made available via other platforms, count unique views of each video. |
You should select one delivery method (in-person onsite, in-person offsite, or virtual), but you can count both the in-person and virtual attendees. Example: Story hour offered in-person onsite and livestreamed at the same time. 15 attendees in-person and 25 watching the stream remotely. Count as 1 synchronous on-site program session, 15 synchronous in-person attendance, and 25 synchronous virtual attendance. (NOTE: Also count under the relevant age group.)
This Google doc has platform-specific guidance for online attendance and views on the major videoconferencing, video sharing, and social media sites.
No, those program categories will no longer be required. You can combine all the types of programs and only need to report by age group and by delivery method.
Self-directed programs like take-and-make kits or by-mail activities are not reported on the Public Library Annual Report. Although they take staff time and library resources, they are not considered programs by the IMLS definition. You should keep statistics for your own use and they may be collected in the future. The one exception is if there was a synchronous virtual activity component, like if kids picked up a take-and-make packet and then completed the activity together virtually led by library staff. Then it would be counted as a synchronous virtual program.
If you log in to your YouTube account, you can set the report time period to 7-days. Joshua Muse, the State Data Coordinator for Vermont, put together a guide, below.
Grants Librarian Claire Imamura presented this session at the 2022 AkLA Virtual Conference.
