Native American Library Services guidelines

2007 NAG guidelines and instructions updated 1-24-07.pdf

General Clearance Grant Application and Post-Award Processes

Native American Library Services guidelines

OMB: 3137-0029

⚠️ Notice: This form may be outdated. More recent filings and information on OMB 3137-0029 can be found here:

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2007
Native American
Library Services
Grant Program Guidelines
and Application Forms
CFDA No. 45.311

Application Deadlines:
Basic Grants: March 15, 2007
Enhancement Grants: May 1, 2007
Online applications available through Grants.gov
(see www.imls.gov/grantsgov for more information)

For more information, call or write:

Native American Library Services Program Staff
Alison Freese, Senior Program Officer
Phone: 202/653-4665
E-mail: [email protected]

Office of Management
and Budget Clearance
Numbers

Sharon McCoy, Program Specialist
Phone: 202/653-4668
E-mail: [email protected]

Guidelines:
OMB No. 3137‑0029,
Expiration Date 01/31/2007

Office of Library Services

Except for:

General number: 202/653-4700

Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
General phone: 202/653-IMLS (4657)
General e-mail: [email protected]
Web site: www.imls.gov

Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/
Short Organizational Form,
SF‑424s:
OMB No. 4040‑0003,
Expiration Date 01/31/2007

TTY (for hearing-impaired persons): 202/653-4699
IMLS will provide visually impaired or learning-disabled persons with an audio recording of this
publication or any other grant publication upon request.

IMLS programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability,
or age. For further information, write to the Civil Rights Officer, Institute of Museum and Library
Services, 1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036-5802.

Burden Estimate and Request for Public Comments
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average two hours per
response for a Basic Grant, and ten hours per response for an Enhancement Grant. This estimate
includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Institute of Museum and Library Services
at the address above; and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction
Project (3137-0029), Washington, DC 20503.

DEAR COLLEAGUEs

It is a pleasure to present the guidelines for the FY 2007 Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS) Native American Library Services grants. In 2006, we made Basic Grants to 232 American
Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages. In addition, we received 53 applications for competitive
Enhancement Grants and made 15 awards.
IMLS grants are designed to help Native American libraries overcome many of the challenges
they face and improve services to their communities. The Institute encourages libraries to use
technology to bring information to people in new and interesting ways. At the same time, these
grants support a range of traditional library services to ensure that users have access to all the
kinds of information they need and want.
Grant funds may be used to improve services to underserved communities and to persons who
have difficulty using a library. They may also be used to establish or enhance electronic linkages
with other libraries and service organizations, to promote the use of electronic networks, and to
encourage the sharing of resources within and among communities.
It has been my pleasure to meet and talk with many of you who are working to improve library
services to Native Americans, and I look forward to continuing a rewarding relationship.
Sincerely,

Anne-Imelda M. Radice, PhD
Director

Table of contents

Section 1: General Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About the Institute of Museum and Library Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About the Native American Library Services Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eligibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS), Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and
Employer Identification Number (EIN). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Paper Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Grants.gov Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Section 2: Basic Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Grant and Basic Grant with Education/Assessment Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conditions of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Duration of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Amount of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use of Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Limits on Use of Funds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance of Effort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Long-Range Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Announcement of Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Payment, Accounting, Management, and Reporting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMLS Assurances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SF-424s/Face Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Program Information Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Long-Range Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Submitting Grants.gov Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Submitting Paper Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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14
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Section 3: Enhancement Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enhancement Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conditions of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Duration of a Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Amount of Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use of Funds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Limits on Use of Funds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Limits on Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cost Sharing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maintenance of Effort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Table of contents

Copyright/Work Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Announcement of Award. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Payment, Accounting, Management, and Reporting Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMLS Assurances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guidance for Projects That Develop Digital Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application Review Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SF-424s/Face Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Program Information Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Narrative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Application Evaluation Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Budget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifications for Projects That Develop Digital Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Text Responses Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other Attachments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Submitting Grants.gov Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Submitting Paper Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Section 4: Application Forms and Assurances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Grant Application Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enhancement Grant Application Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SF-424s/Face Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Program Information Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part A—Project Budget for Basic Grant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Part B—Project Budget for Basic Grant Education/Assessment Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enhancement Grant Budget Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specifications for Projects That Develop Digital Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sample Schedule of Completion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IMLS Assurances and Certification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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General Information

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support
for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain
a “Nation of Learners,” because lifelong learning is essential to a democratic society and
individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research, and publications, the
Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to
enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build 21st-century
skills, and increase civic participation.
Libraries and museums help create vibrant, energized learning communities. Our achievement
as individuals and our success as a democratic society depend on learning continually, adapting
to change readily, and evaluating information critically.
As stewards of cultural heritage, information, and ideas, museums and libraries have traditionally
played a vital role in helping the public experience, explore, discover, and make sense of the
world. That role is now more essential than ever. Through building technological infrastructure
and strengthening community relationships, libraries and museums can offer the public
unprecedented access and expertise in transforming information overload into knowledge.

ABOUT THE native american Library Services Program

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is pleased to invite applications for the
2007 Native American Library Services grant program. These guidelines reflect recognition
of a history of sound service by the precursor to this program within the U.S. Department
of Education, the expressed needs of former program participants, and the opinions of
representatives of Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages.
The Native American Library Services grant program marks new opportunities for improved
library services for an important part of the nation’s community of library users. The IMLS Native
American Library Services grant program offers the following types of support to serve the range
of needs of Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages.

Basic Grants and Basic Grants with Education/Assessment Option
Basic Grants are available to support existing library operations and to maintain core library
services. The purposes of the Education/Assessment Option are to provide funding for library
staff to attend library-related continuing education courses and training workshops on- or offsite;
for library staff to attend or give presentations at conferences related to library services; and to
hire a consultant for an onsite professional library assessment.

Enhancement Grants
Enhancement Grants support activities to advance the applicant library’s operations to new
levels of service for activities specifically identified in the Library Services and Technology Act.
These competitive grants are intended to encourage the implementation of both mainstream and
innovative library practices.

Eligibility

Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages and
corporations are eligible to apply for funding
under the Native American Library Services
grant program. Entities such as libraries,
schools, tribal colleges, or departments of
education are not eligible applicants, although
they may be involved in the administration
of this program and their staff may serve
as project directors, in partnership with an
eligible applicant.
For purposes of funding under this program,
“Indian tribe” means any tribe, band, nation,
or other organized group or community,
including any Alaska Native village, regional
corporation, or village corporation (as defined
in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act [43 U.S.C. § 1601 et
seq.]) that is recognized by the Secretary of
the Interior as eligible for the special programs
and services provided by the United States
to Indians because of their status as Indians.
Eligible entities, except for the recognized
regional corporations and village corporations,
are listed on the Bureau of Indian Affairs Web
site (www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html).
(Alaskan entities should refer to applicable
provisions in the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act, referenced above.)

Two or more Alaska Native villages, regional
corporations, or village corporations may
not receive Basic Grants to serve the same
population.
If a tribe has several bands, colonies,
rancherias, communities, or other
organizational entities listed in parentheses
following the tribe’s name on the Department
of Interior’s list of federally recognized tribes,
only one of those entities may receive a
grant in the same grant category (Basic
Grant with Education/Assessment Option
or Enhancement Grant) in a fiscal year.
For example, if a tribe has four bands, only
one band may apply for a Basic Grant with
Education/Assessment Option in a fiscal year.
However, one band may apply for a Basic
Grant with Education/Assessment Option,
while another band from that same tribe may
apply for an Enhancement Grant. It is the
responsibility of the tribal chief executive to
determine which entity will apply for each grant.

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS),
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and
Employer Identification Number (EIN)

To improve the statistical reporting of federal
grants and cooperative agreements, the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has
directed all federal agencies to require all
applicants for federal grants to provide a Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number when applying for
federal grants or cooperative agreements on
or after October 1, 2003. The DUNS number
is required whether an applicant is submitting
a paper application or using the governmentwide electronic portal (Grants.gov).
Organizations should verify that they have a
DUNS number or take steps to obtain one.
Organizations can receive a DUNS number
at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free
DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711
or by visiting www.dnb.com/us. Individuals
who would personally receive a grant or
cooperative agreement award from the federal
government apart from any business or
nonprofit organization they may operate are
exempt from this requirement.

The Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is
an identification number used by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) in the administration
of tax laws. It is issued either by the Social
Security Administration (SSA) or by the IRS.
A Social Security number is issued by the SSA,
whereas all other TINs are issued by the IRS.
An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also
known as a federal tax identification number,
is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to
business entities. The IRS uses this number
to identify taxpayers that are required to file
various business tax returns.
If an organization does not have DUNS and
TIN numbers, its application will be rejected.

Application Options

There are two ways to submit an application
to the Native American Library Services grant
program: (1) on paper or (2) electronically
through Grants.gov, the one-stop Web site
for organizations looking for and applying for
federal grant opportunities. The application
instructions in these guidelines are designed
to accommodate both the paper and the
online application process. Applicants should
feel free to contact Native American Library
Services program staff at any time with
questions about an application component.

Caution: Applicants using the free version
of the Adobe Reader software cannot
save the filled-in forms, so the forms must
be completely filled in and printed in one
operation. Applicants that have the full
version of Adobe will be able to save filled-in
forms. There are also many low-cost or free
software packages that can help with saving
documents as PDFs.

Paper Applications

As an alternative, applicants may re-create the
forms electronically following the IMLS format
or may type on printed forms.

Applicants that wish to apply on paper
are encouraged to visit www.imls.gov and
download the fill-in versions of the application
forms, which are available in both Adobe PDF
(Portable Document Format) and Microsoft
Word. To open these files, applicants must
have either the Adobe Acrobat Reader
(available free) or Microsoft Word software on
their computers. (Visit www.imls.gov/plugins.
shtm to link to free downloads.)

To learn more, see www.imls.gov/pdf/
PDFConversion.pdf.

Please see the “Submitting Paper
Applications” section for instructions on
mailing paper applications.

Grants.gov applications

Organizations that are applying under the
March 15, 2007, deadline for Basic Grants and
the May 1, 2007, deadline for Enhancement
Grants may submit their applications through
Grants.gov, the federal government’s online
application system. The Grants.gov system
will accept applications through 11:59 P.m.
eastern time on the deadline date.
The application instructions contained
within these guidelines are designed to
accommodate the online application process.
Applicants should feel free to contact program
staff at any time with questions about an
application component.
While the deadlines are March 15 and
May 1, IMLS recommends strongly that
applicants REGISTER EARLY (see “Grants.gov
Registration” section below) and COMPLETE
AND SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION EARLY.
Applicants are urged to not wait until the last
day to submit their applications. Grants.gov
can slow down during periods of high usage,
which most often occur between 12:00 noon
and 5:00 p.m. eastern time, particularly on
days near a deadline. Applicants will have
a better experience if they submit their
application outside of these hours and in
advance of the deadline.

Grants.gov Registration
All applicants who are using Grants.gov must
register with Grants.gov before submitting
their application. The multistep registration
process generally cannot be completed in a
single day. Applicants who are not already
registered should allow at least two weeks
to complete this one-time process. DO NOT
WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION
DEADLINE TO REGISTER.
Step-by-step instructions for registering are
available at www.grants.gov/GetStarted. In
addition, IMLS has created an easy-to-follow
checklist for registering at www.imls.gov/
applicants/grantsgov/checklist.shtm.
Applicants who have problems registering
should call the Grants.gov help desk at
1-800-518-4726; e-mail support@grants.
gov; or consult the information posted on
the Grants.gov Web site at www.grants.gov/
CustomerSupport. The Grants.gov customer
service hours are 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Applicants do not need to complete the
registration process to download the
application package and begin to prepare their
material (see below). However, they will need
their Grants.gov UserID and password, which
are obtained during the registration process,
to submit their completed application.

Grants.gov applications

Obtaining Application Packages
Electronic application packages are obtained
directly from www.Grants.gov. Organizations
applying through Grants.gov will need to locate
the Native American Library Services program
package on the site. To locate the package:
1. Go to www.Grants.gov to obtain the
electronic application package for the
Native American Library Services program.
2. In the left-hand column, click on “Apply for
Grants,” then click on “Download a Grant
Application Package and Instructions.”
Under “Find,” click “Download Grant
Application Packages.”
3. This will take applicants to the “Download
Application Package” screen. On this
screen, enter one of the numbers found
in the box below to locate the Native
American Library Services program
application package, then click on
“Download Package.”
Applicants will need to know one of the
following to locate the package:
CFDA No: 45.311
Funding Opportunity Number:
NAG-BASIC-FY07 or
NAG-ENHANCEMENT-FY07

4. When an applicant starts to download
an application, two items need to be
downloaded:
(1) Download Application Instructions—
This package contains the grant
application guidelines (which include
instructions for completing the
application) and the IMLS forms for
budget, program information, and any
others related to this specific program.
(2) Download Application Package—This
package has the face sheet (SF-424s,
“Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form”)
and the Attachments form.
Applicants need to download both of these
packages to have all of the materials and
forms necessary to complete the application.
5. To access, complete, and submit the
application package, applicants need
to have PureEdge Viewer, a small,
free software program, installed on
their computer. Applicants who do not
already have this software can follow the
instructions on Grants.gov for installing
this program.

Please note that the PureEdge viewer is
compatible with computers running the
Windows operating system. Non-Windows
users will be able to download and
complete the PureEdge forms by taking
advantage of the free Citrix server. See
www.grants.gov/MacSupport for more
information.

The application package will download in
a Zipped file (.zip). Applicants need to have
software that un-Zips files to open them.
Numerous freeware packages are available
on the Internet. The .zip contents are also
available on the IMLS Web site at www.
imls.gov/grantsgov.

Working on an Application Package
1. When opening the application package that
is saved on the applicant’s computer, the
Grants.gov “Grant Application Package”
screen will appear. In the “Application Filing
Name” field, applicants should enter their
organization’s legal name.
2. The forms needed to complete the Native
American Library Services program
application appear in the “Mandatory
Documents” box. To open an item, click
on it to select it, and then click on the
“Open Form” button that is beneath the
“Mandatory Documents” box. Forms
cannot be opened by double-clicking.
When a form is more than one page,
navigate between pages by using the
“Next” or “Previous” buttons at the top of
the screen.

3. After working on a form, click the “Close
Form” button at the top of the screen to
capture entered information and return to
the “Grant Application Package” screen.
Before closing the “Grant Application
Package” screen, click on the “Save”
button. Until all of the required fields in all
of the mandatory forms are completed,
clicking on the “Save” button will generate
an invalid values message. Click “Yes” to
proceed. Grants.gov will also ask: “File
Already Exists. OVERWRITE?” Clicking “Yes”
will save the most recent changes to the
existing file.
4. When a form is completed, click on the
form name in the “Mandatory Documents”
box to select it, and then click the “=>”
button. This will move the form to the
“Mandatory Completed Documents for
Submission” box. All forms must be in the
“Mandatory Completed Documents for
Submission” box before an applicant will be
able to submit the application. Forms can
be worked on from either the “Mandatory
Documents” or “Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission” box.

Grants.gov applications

There are two forms in the “Mandatory
Documents” box that every applicant must fill
out before submitting their application:
1. Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form
(SF‑424s): This form asks for basic
information on the applicant’s organization
and project. It is equivalent to the IMLS
Face Sheet in the application package of
previous years.
2. Attachments Form: This is not a form
in the conventional sense, but rather
a place to attach the other forms and
additional items that must be included for
a Grants.gov application package to be
considered complete.
Note: For Basic Grants, the Program
Information Sheet and the Part A—Project
Budget for Basic Grant form also are
mandatory components of the application.
The Part B—Project Budget for Basic Grant
Education/Assessment Option form also is
mandatory if an applicant is requesting the
additional Education/Assessment Option.
For Enhancement Grants, the Program
Information Sheet, Detailed Budget form, and
Summary Budget form also are mandatory
components of the application. All of these
forms are included in the downloaded Zip
file in both Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word
formats, and are also available on the IMLS
Web site. They can be saved in either PDF or
Word format, then attached to the application
using the Attachments Form.

Before completing the required forms,
applicants may want to activate the Help tool
by clicking on the help button (looks like a
question mark) in the tool bar. Applicants can
then find instructions by positioning the cursor
over each item or, where relevant, over the
radio button for an item. Detailed instructions
for certain items are provided in the next
section.
Application Attachments
The Attachments Form is not a form in the
conventional sense. Rather, it is a place to
attach documents/files that are completed
and saved elsewhere on the applicant’s
computer. The forms and documents that
must be attached to the Attachments Form
are listed in their correct sequence below:
Basic Grant
1. Program Information Sheet
2. Part A—Project Budget for 2007 Native
American Basic Grant
3. Part B—Project Budget for 2007
Education/Assessment Option (if being
requested)
4. Long-Range Plan
Enhancement Grant
1. Program Information Sheet
2. Narrative
3. Detailed Budget form
4. Summary Budget form
5. Specifications for Projects That Develop
Digital Products form (if applicable)
6. Text Responses documents
7. Any remaining attachments

Several important points about the forms and
documents to attach:
1. On the Attachments Form, there are 15
attachment buttons, labeled “Attachment
1” through “Attachment 15.” By clicking
on a button, applicants will be able to
choose the file from their computer that
they wish to attach. Applicants should
attach only one copy of each item.
Applicants are encouraged to create
multipaged documents that consolidate
multiple attachments into one document,
if possible.
2. Applicants must submit all attachments
in one of the following formats: Microsoft
Word (.doc), Adobe Portable Document
Format (.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG
(.jpg), rich text (.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

To save the PDF versions of the Program
Information Form or Budget forms, as
PDFs, applicants must use Adobe Acrobat
Approval or the full Acrobat Standard or
Professional Programs. (Acrobat Approval
is no longer available for purchase, but
existing versions will work.) Caution:
Applicants using the free version of the
Reader software cannot save the filled-in
forms.

Nonform documents, such as the narrative
and Text Responses document(s), can be
created with any software, but must be
saved and submitted in one of the formats
listed above. Applicants who do not have
the software needed to convert files to PDF
can use one of the many low-cost or free
software packages available. To learn more,
go to www.imls.gov/pdf/PDFConversion.pdf.
Documents not available in an electronic
format should be scanned and submitted
as a PDF or JPEG file.

3. For documents that are not forms,
applicants should make sure that pages
are clearly labeled with the organization’s
legal name and the name of the item
(e.g., application narrative) and numbered
sequentially.
4. Forms and document files should be
labeled clearly and attached in the proper
order so that IMLS can correctly identify
attachments.
5. Applicants do not have to fill in all 15
Attachments Form buttons.
6. If unable to view an attachment by clicking
the “View Attachment” button on the
Attachments Form, applicants should
check the bottom of the screen for the
message “Pop-ups were blocked on this
page.” If this message is present, pressing
“Ctrl” and “View Attachment” will enable
the applicant to see the attachment.

Grants.gov applications

Grants.gov Help
For help on how to use Grants.gov, please
see the help material on the Grants.gov Web
site at www.grants.gov/CustomerSupport.
Applicants can also e-mail the Grants.gov
helpdesk at [email protected] or call them
at 1-800-518-4726 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00
p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday.

The Grants.gov help desk will assign a case
number to each inquiry. This number only
documents the inquiry to the help desk, and is
in no way related to the tracking number that
Grants.gov will assign an application once it
has been successfully submitted.

Basic Grant

Basic Grant and
Basic Grant with Education/Assessment Option

Basic Grants are available to support existing
library operations and to maintain core library
services. Basic Grants are for one year and
cannot be extended. A new application is
required every fiscal year.
Applicants will be required to document
ongoing levels of library service in the
“Institutional Profile” section of the application
(see p. 21). At a minimum, an applicant
should be able to document an existing library
that meets three basic criteria: (1) regularly
scheduled hours, (2) staff, and (3) materials
available for library users.
Funds may be used to
• expand services for learning and access to
information and educational resources in
a variety of formats, in all types of libraries,
for individuals of all ages,
• develop library services that provide all
users with access to information through
local, state, regional, national, and
international electronic networks,
• provide electronic and other linkages
between and among all types of libraries,
• develop public and private partnerships
with other agencies and community-based
organizations,

• target library services to help increase
access and ability to use information
resources for individuals of diverse
geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic
backgrounds, individuals with disabilities,
and individuals with limited functional
literacy or information skills, and
• target library and information services
to help increase access and ability to
use information resources for persons
having difficulty using a library and for
underserved urban and rural communities,
including children from birth to age 17
from families with incomes below the
poverty line (as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget).
The Education/Assessment Option provides
funding for library staff to attend libraryrelated continuing education courses and
training workshops on- or offsite; for library
staff to attend or give presentations at
conferences related to library services; and
to hire a consultant for an onsite professional
library assessment.
Basic Grants are noncompetitive grants to
eligible tribes and Alaska Native villages
or corporations, to be distributed in equal
amounts among all eligible applicant tribes.

Conditions of a Grant

Duration of a Grant

Use of Funds

The grant period begins October 1, 2007, and
ends September 30, 2008. A new application
is required each fiscal year. Grants are for one
year; no extensions are allowed. An Indian
tribe may receive only one Basic Grant in a
fiscal year. Two or more Alaska Native villages,
village corporations, or regional corporations
may not receive Basic Grants to serve the
same population.

Basic Grant funds may be used for such costs as

All funds must be spent or obligated within
the grant period and expended within 90 days
after the close of the grant period. A final
performance report must be submitted no
later than December 29, 2008.

Amount of Grant
The estimated Basic Grant award for FY 2007
is $5,000. The estimated Basic Grant with
Education/Assessment Option award amount
is $6,000, which includes the $5,000 Basic
Grant and a supplemental amount of $1,000
for eligible education and assessment
activities. The final amounts will be
determined after all applications have been
received and eligibility has been determined.

• salary for library personnel,
• materials, supplies, and equipment
(including books, journals, electronic
resources, library supplies, furniture,
computers and other equipment),
• services (computer- or library-related
consultants, training of library personnel
in addition to or in lieu of training
funds requested under the Education/
Assessment Option), and
• other items such as Internet access
charges and fees for participation in
networks and consortia that provide the
library with direct services.
Education/Assessment Option funds may be
used
• for library staff to attend library-related
continuing education courses and training
workshops on- or offsite,
• for library staff to attend or give
presentations at conferences related to
library services, and
• to hire a consultant for an onsite
professional library assessment.
If funds remain after grant activities have
been completed, the remaining funds
may be used to enhance library services
based on knowledge gained through
professional development or consultants’
recommendations.

Conditions of a Grant

Limits on Use of Funds
Grant funds may not be used for construction,
contributions to endowment funds, social
activities, ceremonies, entertainment,
pregrant costs, or indirect costs. Governmentwide cost principles apply.

Maintenance of Effort
An Indian tribe receiving a Basic Grant should
expend the same amount for library services,
exclusive of the grant amount, during the
grant period that was expended in the 12month period immediately preceding the grant
period. The Basic Grant is not intended to
replace funds allocated for library services by
the tribe.

Long-Range Plan
To help ensure that library services meet
current local needs, and to help applicants
develop strategies to build services that will be
needed in the future, IMLS requires that the
applicant submit a long-range plan (formerly
called a three-year plan) with the application.
A long-range plan is required each year that
a Basic Grant application is submitted. The
submission of a long-range plan does not
imply automatic funding for the years covered
in the plan, nor does it imply the availability of
grant funds past the stated grant period.
The long-range plan submitted in 2007 must
cover the period October 2007 through
September 2010.

The long-range plan must state the library’s
mission and goals, and the programs
and activities that will be implemented to
achieve those goals. The long-range plan
should include an evaluation plan that will
demonstrate progress toward reaching the
library’s goals. Visit the IMLS Web site at www.
imls.gov/pdf/07_longrangeplan.pdf to see a
sample plan. Use the outline below to create a
long-range plan.
1. Mission Statement
2. Needs Statement #1
a. Goal
b. Evaluation Plan
1. Key Output Targets
2. Key Outcome Targets
c. Activities/Timeline
3. Needs Statement #2
a. Goal
b. Evaluation Plan
1. Key Output Targets
2. Key Outcome Targets
c. Activities/Timeline
Additional needs statements as appropriate

IMLS supports and encourages the use of
an evaluation tool called outcome-based
evaluation (OBE). This system of measuring
results replaces the question, “What activities
did we carry out?” with the question, “What
changed as a result of our work?” A focus
on measuring outcomes—the effect of an
institution’s activities and services on the
people it serves—rather than on the services
themselves (outputs) is an emerging keystone
of library programs. Additional information
about OBE is available on the IMLS Web site
at www.imls.gov/applicants/obe.shtm or on
request from IMLS.

Announcement of Award
No information about the status of an
application will be released until all
applications have been reviewed and all
deliberations are concluded. IMLS will notify
applicants of final decisions in June 2007.

Payment, Accounting, Management, and
Reporting Procedures
A federal accounting office handles the
payment of Native American Library Services
grants. Payments will be made electronically
within three weeks after recipients return
the SF-3881, Automated Clearing House
(ACH) Payment Enrollment Form, and SF-270,
Request for Advance or Reimbursement,
which are included in the grant award
notification packet sent to the Authorized
Representative of the grant applicant. The
ACH form and SF-270 may be submitted as
early as two weeks prior to the start of the
grant period, but no later than 90 days after
the close of the grant period.

IMLS requires grant recipients to maintain a
restricted account for funds received during
the grant period. Recipients do not need to
maintain a separate bank account for IMLS
funds; however, they must establish and
maintain a separate accounting category
within an internal accounting system to show
that IMLS funds have been used for eligible
grant costs only. This restricted accounting
record must be adequate to satisfy normal
auditing procedures. Grants are subject to
the provisions of Office of Management and
Budget audit requirements.
IMLS will establish final reporting
requirements. A grantee that does not submit
the final report by the due date will jeopardize
its eligibility to receive future IMLS grants. Any
funds that have not been obligated within the
grant period and expended within 90 days
after the close of the grant period must be
returned to IMLS. A final performance report
must be submitted no later than December
29, 2008.

IMLS Assurances
The Authorized Representative of the grant
applicant must read the assurances in
the “Application Forms” section of these
guidelines (pp. 72–75) and sign the
certification on the Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form, SF-424s (also called the Face Sheet).
An Authorized Representative of the applicant
tribe is a person who has the authority
to apply for federal support of the tribe’s
activities and to enter into legal agreements in
the name of the tribe.

application components

An application requesting a Basic Grant or a Basic Grant with Education/Assessment Option
should include the following materials in the order listed below:
1. Face Sheet: the two-page Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424s) on pages 58–59 of these guidelines; also available on Grants.gov or as a fillin PDF form or Word document on the IMLS Web site
2. Program Information Sheet: the three-page form on pages 60–62 of these guidelines; also
available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS
Web site
3. Part A—Project Budget for 2007 Native American Basic Grant, on page 63 of these guidelines;
also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS
Web site
4. Part B—Project Budget for 2007 Education/Assessment Option (if requested), on page 64 of
these guidelines; also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip
file or on the IMLS Web site
5. Long-Range Plan
6. If filing by mail (i.e., not electronically through Grants.gov), one additional copy of the entire
application
If filing a paper application, do not place the original or copy of the application in a binder or
notebook. Applicants submitting incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. IMLS
will determine whether an application is complete.

SF-424s/FACE SHEET

The Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF424s) is a form located on Grants.gov and
must be completed by applicants using this
filing method. It is the equivalent to the twopage IMLS Face Sheet found on pages 58–59
within these guidelines, to be completed by
applicants filing applications on paper.
Note: Questions 1 through 4 on SF-424s will
auto-fill for applicants using Grants.gov. These
four fields are not required for applicants
using paper applications.

5. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name: Enter the legal name of the
organization that is making the application.
Please see page 4 (Eligibility) for eligibility
details.
b. Address: Use Street1 for the organization’s
street address or post office box number,
whichever is used for its U.S. Postal Service
mailing address. Street2 is not a required field
and should be used only when a suite or room
number or other similar information is part of
the address.
In the Zip+4/Postal Code box, enter the full
nine-digit Zip code assigned by the U.S. Postal
Service. An organization’s full Zip code can be
retrieved at www.usps.com/zip4.

d. Type of Applicant: Select the box next to
“Indian/Native American Tribal Government
(Federally Recognized).”
e. EIN/TIN: Enter the nine-digit number
assigned by the IRS; do not use a Social
Security number.
f. Organizational DUNS: All organizational
applicants for federal funds must have a
DUNS number. Ensure that the number
entered here agrees with the number (either
9 or 13 digits) that was used with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR) as part of the
Grants.gov registration.
g. Congressional District (Grants.gov
applications only): Enter the number of the
congressional district in which the applicant
organization is located. Use the following
format: two-letter state abbreviation, followed
by a hyphen, followed by the three-digit district
number. For example, if the organization
is located in the 5th Congressional District
of California, enter “CA‑005.” For the 12th
district of North Carolina, enter “NC-012.” If
an applicant does not have a congressional
district (e.g., it is located in a U.S. territory
that does not have districts), enter 00-000.
To determine an institution’s district, visit
the House of Representatives Web site
at www.house.gov and use the “Find Your
Representative” tool.

c. Web Address: Enter the Web address of the
legal applicant.

SF-424s/FACE SHEET

6. Project Information

9. Authorized Representative

a. Project Title: Enter “2007 Basic Grant”
or “2007 Basic Grant with Education/
Assessment Option,” as appropriate.
b. Project Description: Applicants for Basic
Grants may skip this section.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date:
Enter “October 1, 2007” and “September
30, 2008,” respectively.

Enter the name and contact information
of the person who has the authority to
apply for federal support of the applicant’s
activities and enter into legal agreements in
the name of the applicant. The Authorized
Representative should not be the same
person as the project director. By checking
the “I Agree” box at the top of Item 9 and
signing the application, this individual
certifies the applicant’s compliance with
relevant federal requirements (see the
“IMLS Assurances and Certification” section,
pp. 72–75). All written correspondence will be
addressed to the Authorized Representative.

7. Project Director
Provide the requested information for the
project director, who will be responsible for
carrying out the project and who will serve as
the key contact person with IMLS regarding
the progress achieved under the grant. Leave
the Social Security number blank. Select a
prefix (even though this field is not required on
Grants.gov).

8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator
Provide the requested information for the
individual who should be contacted on all
matters involving this application and the
administration of any grant that may be
awarded. Leave the Social Security number
blank. Select the appropriate prefix (even
though this field is not required on Grants.gov).
In some organizations, particularly smaller
ones, this individual may be the same as the
project director. If this is the case, check the
“Same as Project Director” box. (If the primary
contact/grants administrator is the same
as the Authorized Representative, please
complete all items under both 8 and 9 even
though there will be some repetition.)

For Grants.gov applications, the “Signature
of Authorized Representative” and “Date
Signed” boxes will be populated on submission
of the application. Paper applications must
be signed and dated by the appropriate
official. Submission of the application by the
Authorized Representative certifies compliance
with relevant federal requirements, and
that the statements in the application are
true, complete, and accurate to the best of
the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s
knowledge.

Program Information Sheet

1. Applicant Information

4–6

a. Legal Name: Enter the legal name of the
applicant.

Applicants for Basic Grants should skip these
sections.

b. and c. Organizational Unit and Address:
Enter the name and address of the library that
will administer the grant (see Eligibility, p. 4).
Be sure to include the four-digit extension on
the Zip code.

7. Institutional Profile

d. Web Address: If an organizational unit is
listed, enter its Web address here. If not, enter
the Web site of the entity listed at Legal Name.
e. Type of Institution: Select the box next
to “Native American Tribe/Native Hawaiian
Organization.”

2. Grant Program or Grant Program
Category
Select one of the categories listed under
“g. Native American Library Services.”

3. Request Information
a. IMLS Funds Requested: Enter the amount
sought from IMLS.
b. Cost Share Amount: Applicants for Basic
Grants should skip this item.

Please provide complete information for all
items (a through j) in this section.
i. Supported Activities: Check all applicable
boxes next to the activities that will be
supported by the grant. These activities
are the focus of the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA) and are not listed in
priority order.
j. Maintenance of Effort: Check the one
box that most appropriately corresponds to
the applicant tribe’s level of maintenance of
effort for library services in the past year. The
Basic Grant is not intended to replace funds
allocated for library services by the tribe. An
Indian tribe receiving a Basic Grant should
expend the same amount for library services
during the grant period (excluding the grant
amount) that was expended in the 12-month
period immediately preceding it.

8
Applicants for Basic Grants should skip this
section.

BUDGET

The Budget forms are available on pages
63–64 within these guidelines. These forms
are also available as fill-in PDF forms or Word
documents on the IMLS Web site and on
Grants.gov.

Part A—Project Budget for 2007
Basic Grant
Prepare a Basic Grant project budget based
on the total amount of $5,000, no more
and no less. Spending categories include
library personnel; materials, supplies, and
equipment; services (e.g., consultants,
trainers, storytellers); and other items such
as Internet and consortium fees. No indirect
costs are permitted. See the Sample Project
Budget on page 63 for guidance.

Part B—Project Budget for 2007 Basic
Grant Education/Assessment Option
If the Education/Assessment Option is
being requested, prepare an Education/
Assessment Option project budget for $1,000,
no more and no less. Spending categories
include library-related continuing education
and training for library personnel, travel to
conferences, and onsite professional library
assessment. No indirect costs are permitted.
See the Sample Project Budget on page 64
for guidance.

Long-Range Plan

For the long-range plan (as described on
pp. 16–17), create a single document that
includes the information requested. When it
is available, please run spell check and make
corrections.
In addition, the document must
• include the applicant organization’s name
at the top of each page,
• have a margin of at least 0.5 inch on all
sides,
• have each page numbered, and
• use 12-point typeface or larger with no
more than six lines per vertical inch
and standard spacing between the
letters. Condensed fonts or handwritten
documents are not acceptable.

Applicants using Grants.gov should save
the document with the file name “LongRange Plan” and use the Attachments Form
to add this document to their applications.
The attachment will be accepted in one of
the following formats only: Microsoft Word
(.doc), Adobe Portable Document File (.pdf),
Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG (.jpg), rich text
(.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

Submitting Grants.gov Applications

1. In the top left corner of the Grants.gov menu
screen, applicants will see “Submit,” “Save,”
“Print,” “Cancel,” and “Check Package for
Errors” buttons.

Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp
on each application after it is fully
uploaded. The time it takes to upload
an application will vary depending on
a number of factors, including the size
of the application, the speed of the
applicant’s Internet connection, and
the number of other applications (for
grants from a variety of federal
agencies) being sent to Grants.gov at
the same time.

Applications can be submitted until
11:59 p.m. (eastern time) on March 15.
However, applicants are strongly
encouraged to submit applications early,
in case of delays resulting from heavy
online traffic or to deal with any lastminute problems that may be
encountered.

2. Once applicants have completed the
application (i.e., all of the Mandatory
Documents have been completed and
moved to the “Completed Documents” box),
they should click the “Check Package for
Errors” button to double-check that they
have provided all required information.
3. Applicants should then click the “Save”
button one last time to make sure that all
of the most current information is saved.
(At this point, the invalid values message
should not pop up.)
4. Applicants should print out a hard copy of
the completed application for their files.
Clicking the “Print” button will print out all
of the forms in the “Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission” box. Applicants
who desire a hard copy of the items
attached to the Attachments Form will
have to print those out on their own.
5. The authorized official will click the “Submit”
button. The “Submit” button will not become
active until the application is saved with all
required fields completed. Clicking this
button will reconnect the user to Grants.gov
and the Internet. The authorized official will
be prompted to provide the Grants.gov
UserID and password that were obtained
during the Grants.gov registration process.
Applicants should be certain that they are
satisfied with their application before
clicking the “Submit” button. No changes or
revisions are possible once the application
is submitted.
24

6. Upon submission of the application to
Grants.gov, the Grants.gov tracking number
assigned to the application will display on
the screen. Applicants should print out a
copy of this notification number for their
records. The tracking number also will be
e-mailed to the authorized organization
representative.
7. After the program deadline, applicants
will receive a notification via e-mail from
Grants.gov when IMLS retrieves their
applications from Grants.gov.
8. Within 30 working days after the
application deadline, IMLS will e-mail
applicants an acknowledgment form with
an application log number. Applicants who
do not receive this form in the stated time
should contact IMLS to ensure that their
application was successfully logged.

Submitting paper applications

Applicants not using Grants.gov to apply for
funding should ship or hand deliver their
paper applications for a Native American
Library Services Basic Grant and Basic Grant
with Education/Assessment Option to the
following address:
Native American Library Services
Office of Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
Applications must be postmarked, shipped,
or hand delivered no later than March 15,
2007.

Shipping
• All applications must be postmarked
no later than the March 15 application
deadline. Applications that do not meet the
postmark deadline will be rejected without
evaluation.
• Please consider using commercial delivery
services. Overnight delivery is not required;
ground service is acceptable.
• If the U.S. Postal Service is used to deliver
the application, IMLS recommends
certified or registered mail.
• Because of the length of the application
and the number of copies required for
complete submission, applications cannot
be accepted by fax or e-mail.
• If an application is received more than
30 working days after the application
deadline, it may be rejected.

Proof of Shipping
• IMLS may ask for proof of shipping if the
postmark date on the package cannot be
read.
• The U.S. Postal Service does not always
postmark packages when it receives them.
Ask to have the package dated, then verify
that the date stamped is accurate.
• IMLS will accept a legible receipt stamped
by the U.S. Postal Service or a legible dated
shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a
commercial carrier.
• Private metered postmarks or private mail
receipts are not acceptable proof of the
shipping date unless they contain a legible
date stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.
• The green return receipt card for registered
mail does not meet the IMLS requirement
for proof of the shipping date.

Hand Delivery
IMLS accepts hand-delivered applications
between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (eastern
time) daily, except Saturdays, Sundays, and
federal holidays. IMLS will provide a dated
receipt at the time of delivery.

IMLS Acknowledgment
Within 30 working days after the application
deadline, IMLS will e-mail applicants an
acknowledgment form with an application log
number. Applicants that do not receive this
form should contact IMLS to make sure the
application was received.

Enhancement
Grant

enhancement grant

Enhancement Grant projects may enhance
existing library services or implement new
library services, particularly as they relate to
the goals of the LSTA listed here:
• to expand services for learning and access
to information and educational resources
in a variety of formats, in all types of
libraries, for individuals of all ages,
• to develop library services that provide
all users with access to information
through local, state, regional, national, and
international electronic networks,
• to provide electronic and other linkages
between and among all types of libraries,
• to develop public and private partnerships
with other agencies and community-based
organizations,
• to target library services to help increase
access and ability to use information
resources for individuals of diverse
geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic
backgrounds, individuals with disabilities,
and individuals with limited functional
literacy or information skills, and

• to target library and information services
to help increase access and ability to
use information resources for persons
having difficulty using a library and for
underserved urban and rural communities,
including children from birth to age 17
from families with incomes below the
poverty line (as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget).
A tribe must submit a Basic Grant
application in the same fiscal year to be
eligible to apply for an Enhancement Grant.
See page 4 for full information on eligibility.

Conditions of a Grant

Duration of a Grant
Applicants may request either a one- or twoyear grant. Once the grant is awarded, funds
must be expended within the specified grant
period. The grant period begins no earlier than
October 1, 2007, and no later than December
1, 2007. Grantees may begin project activities
any time during October, November, or
December 2007, but the grant period will start
on the first day of the month in which project
activities are undertaken and end on the last
day of the month in which project activities are
completed.
The tribal Authorized Representative may
submit a request for a one-time, no-cost
extension of the grant period to the program
officer. A request for an extension must be
made in writing no later than 10 days before
the end of the grant period.

Amount of Grant
An applicant may request up to $150,000,
whether the grant period is one or two years.
IMLS will review and negotiate budgets as
necessary. Applicants may be granted an
amount less than that requested.

Use of Funds
Enhancement Grant funds may be used only
for costs directly related to the enhancement
project, such as costs for salaries for library
personnel, library materials (including
books, journals, electronic resources,
and equipment), library project supplies,
furnishings, telecommunication services
and equipment, and fees for participation in

networks and consortia that provide the library
with direct services. General office supplies
are considered indirect costs and should not
be requested as direct costs. No more than
15 percent of the granted funds may be used
for indirect costs, unless the applicant has a
current, federally negotiated indirect cost rate.
Government-wide cost principles apply.
IMLS expects that funds will support projects
that provide services to the public. If a tribe is
requesting funding for services or materials to
which access is restricted, it must submit its
access policy with the application, explaining
what percentage of materials would be
restricted and providing a justification for the
restricted access.

Limits on Use of Funds
Grant funds may not be used for construction,
contributions to endowment funds, social
activities, ceremonies, entertainment,or
pregrant costs. All listed expenses, including
all cost sharing, must be incurred during
the grant period. Government-wide cost
principles apply.

Limits on Funding
An Indian tribe may submit only one
application for an Enhancement Grant in a
fiscal year. A grantee receiving a two-year
Enhancement Grant from IMLS may not apply
for another Enhancement Grant covering the
second year of the first grant. For example,
if a tribe received a two-year Enhancement
Grant in FY 2006, it may not apply for another
Enhancement Grant until FY 2008.

Conditions of a Grant

Cost Sharing
Cost sharing is encouraged but not required
in this program. IMLS does not allow
federal funds to be used for cost sharing.
The limitation on using federal funding as
cost share applies to salaries, equipment,
services, etc., funded by federal dollars.
If personnel or resources funded by federal
dollars are a part of the project design and/or
management plan, their role may be described
in the application narrative.
All cost-sharing expenses must be incurred
during the grant period, not before or after.
Tribes must maintain documentation of
cost sharing for reporting purposes to
IMLS. In-kind contributions may be used for
cost sharing if they specifically relate to the
Enhancement Grant project. If any funds are
to be contributed as cost share by sources
other than the applicant or its official partners,
the applicant must identify whether the
commitment of funds is assured or pending.
If the funds are assured, the applicant should
include a letter from the source affirming its
commitment. If the funds are not assured,
the applicant should describe its plan for
meeting the promised cost share from other
sources in the event that the pending funds
are not received. Government-wide uniform
administrative rules and requirements apply.
Cost sharing may comprise:
• cash contributions: funds allocated directly
to the project by the applicant or a third
party, and
• In-kind contributions: the value of noncash
contributions provided by the applicant

or a third party, e.g., staff time (if salaries
are not paid with federal funds), volunteer
time, materials and supplies, and services.
Indirect costs may be used as cost sharing.
Indirect costs, often referred to as overhead
costs, are not attributable to a specific project
or activity of an organization. Costs such as
rent (if space is owned by the tribe), utilities,
and insurance are considered indirect costs
and will not be accepted as direct costs
requested from IMLS, or as part of direct cost
in-kind contributions if an indirect cost rate or
the 15 percent administrative fee is charged
to the project.

Maintenance of Effort
Although cost sharing is not required in this
program, IMLS requires that organizations
maintain their previous funding efforts and
demonstrate that federal funds will enhance
rather than replace tribal funding for library
services. Applicants are encouraged, when
possible, to contribute financially or through inkind services to proposed projects in order to
promote community interest and involvement.

Copyright/Work Products
IMLS assistance must be acknowledged in all
publications and other products resulting from
the project. Products should be distributed
free or at cost unless the grant recipient
has received written approval for another
arrangement. With written permission,
the grantee may copyright any work that is
eligible for copyright and was developed, or
for which ownership was purchased, under
an Enhancement Grant. IMLS reserves, for
federal government purposes, a royalty-free,

worldwide, nonexclusive, and irrevocable
license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use
the work and authorize others to reproduce,
publish, or otherwise use the work. Grantees
must provide three copies of any products
produced with IMLS funds to IMLS with the
final reports. Generally, a beta version of
software developed on an IMLS-funded project
must be provided to IMLS as a product of the
grant. Consult with IMLS regarding software
development projects.

Payment, Accounting, Management, and
Reporting Procedures
A federal accounting office handles the
payment of Native American Library Services
grants. Payments are made electronically
within three weeks after recipients return
the SF-3881, Automated Clearing House
(ACH) Payment Enrollment Form, and SF-270,
Request for Advance or Reimbursement, which
are included in the grant award notification
packet sent to the applicant’s Authorized
Representative. The ACH form and SF-270 may
be submitted as early as two weeks prior to
the start of the grant period, but no later than
90 days after the close of the grant period.
IMLS requires grant recipients to maintain a
restricted account for funds received during
the grant period. Recipients do not need to
maintain a separate bank account for IMLS

funds; however, they must establish and
maintain a separate accounting category
within an internal accounting system to
show that IMLS funds have been used for
grant costs only. This restricted accounting
record must be adequate to satisfy normal
auditing procedures. Grants are subject to
the provisions of Office of Management and
Budget audit requirements.
Grant recipients are required to submit sixmonth interim performance reports as well as
annual financial status reports (SF-269A). In
addition, grantees that are paid in advance
are required to report the status of funds
received from IMLS through the quarterly
submission of a Federal Cash Transactions
Report (SF-272). They are also required to
submit a final performance report and a
final financial report. Interim reports must
be submitted within 30 days after the end of
each reporting period. Final performance and
financial reports are due within 90 days after
the close of the grant period. IMLS will provide
reporting instructions.

IMLS Assurances
To be considered for a grant, the tribe’s
Authorized Representative must read the
assurances in the “Application Forms” section
of these guidelines (pp. 72–75) and sign the
certification on the Application for Federal
Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form, SF-424s (also called the Face Sheet).
An Authorized Representative of the applicant
tribe is a person who has the authority
to apply for federal support of the tribe’s
activities and to enter into legal agreements in
the name of the tribe.

Guidance for Projects That Develop Digital Products

Information to Include in Proposal

Resources for Digitization Projects

In the proposal narrative, include a description
of the subject matter and its significance,
including relationships to related digital
content. Explain how the material to be
included in the project was or will be selected.
Describe the additional value that any digital
conversion or repurposing will bring to the
materials, such as enabling innovative uses
or attracting new audiences. Describe how
potential users will discover any new digital
material. The application also includes a
form, Specifications for Projects That Develop
Digital Products (see pp. 69–70), that must be
completed and submitted with the application.

IMLS has published “A Framework of Guidance
for Building Good Digital Collections” as
a resource for applicants planning digital
projects. The publication is now maintained
by the National Information Standards
Organization (NISO) and is available at www.
niso.org/framework/Framework2.html. The
second edition of this document contains links
to many Web sites with useful information for
planning and implementing digital projects.
IMLS offers a wealth of information, including
lists of funded digital projects, at the Digital
Corner on the IMLS Web site at http://www.
imls.gov/about/digitalCorner.shtm.

Interoperability

The list of resources below is provided to
assist you in learning more about digital
projects. The list is neither exhaustive nor
an endorsement by IMLS of any particular
resource.

Project design should demonstrate the use
of existing standards and best practices
for digital material where applicable, and
products should be interoperable with other
digital content. Grantees creating digital
collections are expected to participate in
the IMLS Digital Collection Registry currently
operated by the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. The Grainger Library has
created a registry and a metadata repository of
collections digitized with IMLS funding. (See the
project site at http://imlsdcc.grainger.uiuc.edu/.)

Digitization Plans
Projects that include digital conversion are
strongly encouraged to develop a digitization
plan before writing the grant application.

Training
Many universities, organizations, and
businesses provide training in digitization and
related topics. The following are examples
only—check the general resource lists for
leads to more training opportunities and
the topic lists below for training resources in
specific subject areas.
• www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/
tutorial/contents.html—Moving Theory into
Practice: Digital Imaging Tutorial, by Cornell
University Department of Preservation and
Collections Maintenance.

• www.solinet.net/—The Southeastern
Library Network offers training in digital
imaging, copyright, digital preservation,
and other related topics.
• www.oclc.org/education/workshops/
default.htm—Seminars, workshops,
and online training in digital projects,
preservation, copyright, and other topics
related to digitization, provided by the
Online Computer Library Center (OCLC).
General
• www.cdpheritage.org/index.cfm—The
Collaborative Digitization Program’s Web
site (born as the Colorado Digitization
Project) offers many digitization resources
that include information about copyright,
metadata, digitization standards, and
administrative concerns.
• http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/about/
techIn.html—Building Digital Collections:
Technical Information and Background
Papers is part of the Library of Congress
American Memory Project.
• www.archives.gov/preservation/technical/
guidelines.html—Technical Guidelines for
Digitizing Archival Materials for Electronic
Access: Creation of Production Master
Files–Raster Images is by Steven Puglia,
Jeffrey Reed, and Erin Rhodes of the U.S.
National Archives.
• http://library.amnh.org/diglib/index.html—
The American Museum of Natural History’s
Digital Library Project Web site has
information on and links to resources on
many topics, such as planning, standards,
and digital resources management.

• http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/imaging—
Digitizing Images and Text, the Berkeley
Digital Library portal, provides links
to resources on digitization projects,
resources, and tools.
• www.mainememory.net/cp_resources.
shtml—The Maine Memory Network
provides guidance and resources for its
contributing cultural institutions such as
libraries, museums, archives, and historical
societies.
• http://images.library.uiuc.edu/resources/
links.htm—The University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign Digital Imaging Media
Technology Initiative provides resources
about many digitization topics, including
a listing of current imaging programs,
organizations, and committees.
• www.chin.gc.ca/English/index.html—The
Canadian Heritage Information Network
has information on creating and managing
digital content.
• www.nedcc.org/digital/tofc.htm—The
Handbook for Digital Projects: A
Management Tool for Preservation
and Access, a Northeast Document
Conservation Center site, offers nine
chapters of a handbook on project
management, scanning, copyright issues,
technical topics, best practices, vendor
relations, and longevity. It includes many
links to related sites.
• www.diglib.org/publications.htm—The
Digital Library Federation has publications
on a range of topics, including digital image
management and preservation.

Guidance for Projects That Develop Digital Products

• www.rlg.org/en/page.php?Page_
ID=12081—The OCLC Research Library
Group’s DigiNews is a bimonthly Webbased newsletter.
• www.asis.org/Bulletin/index.html—The
Bulletin of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology,
vol. 30, no. 5, June/July 2004, contains
a special section about online museum
information.
• http://lists.mdch.org/bin/listinfo/
digistates—DigiStates is an online
discussion list for people working on
collaborative statewide projects for the
digitization of cultural heritage resources.
Metadata
• www.niso.org/standards/resources/
Metadata_Demystified.pdf—Metadata
Demystified, by Amy Brand, Frank Daly, and
Barbara Meyers (Sheridan Press and NISO
Press, 2003).
• www.getty.edu/research/conducting_
research/standards/intrometadata/index.
html—Introduction to Metadata: Pathways
to Digital Information, edited by Murtha
Baca (Getty Research Institute, 2000).
• www.rlg.org/en/page.php?Page_ID=214—
Descriptive Metadata Guidelines for RLG
Cultural Materials, by the OCLC Research
Library Group.
• http://oai-best.comm.nsdl.org/cgi-bin/
wiki.pl?TableOfContents—Best Practices
for OAI Data Provider Implementations
and Shareable Metadata, by the Digital
Library Federation/National Science Digital
Library.

• www.utah.edu/cpbmetadata/PBCore/—
PBCore: Public Broadcasting Metadata
Dictionary, for public broadcasters’
television, radio, and Web activities.
Preservation of Digital Material
• www.library.cornell.edu/iris/tutorial/
dpm—Digital Preservation Management:
Implementing Short-term Strategies
for Long-term Problems is a tutorial by
the Cornell University Department of
Preservation and Collections Maintenance.
• www.dlib.org—D-Lib Magazine has many
articles on preservation of digital materials.
Intellectual Property
• www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip—Center
for Intellectual Property and Copyright in
the Digital Environment, by the Office of
Distance Education and Lifelong Learning
at the University of Maryland University
College.
• www.copyright.iupui.edu/—Copyright
Management Center (CMC), Indiana
University–Purdue University Indianapolis.
Universal Access
• www.w3.org/WAI/—The World Wide Web
Consortium’s guidance and resources
on Web accessibility for people with
disabilities.
• http://trace.wisc.edu/world/web—
Designing More Usable Web Sites,
resources on universally accessible Web
guidelines, compliance with Section 508,
and forums for discussing accessibility
issues presented by the Trace Center.
• http://webaim.org/—WebAIM is a nonprofit
organization within the Center for Persons
with Disabilities at Utah State University.

Application Review Process

IMLS staff determines whether an applicant
is eligible and whether an application is
complete. IMLS staff may contact applicants
to obtain information needed to make an
eligibility determination. If an applicant is
determined ineligible, the agency will reject
the application without evaluating the
proposed project. Similarly, the agency will
reject an incomplete application without
subsequent evaluation of the proposed
project. IMLS will notify a tribe if its application
is rejected.

During the evaluation process, reviewers
are instructed to evaluate the proposed
projects according to the criteria identified
in these guidelines. Accordingly, applicants
should address all program criteria in their
application narratives and include supporting
materials in their submissions to the agency.
The IMLS director makes funding decisions
based on the reviewers’ evaluations and the
overall goals of this program and the agency.

All eligible and complete applications are
competitively reviewed through the agency’s
peer review process. Applications are
evaluated by individual field review and/or
panel review. IMLS draws its reviewer pool
from professionals in the field who have
relevant knowledge and expertise in the types
of activities and organizations identified in the
applications.

Application Components

An application requesting a Native American Enhancement Grant should include the following
materials in the order listed below:
1. Face Sheet: the two-page Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424s) on pages 58–59 of these guidelines; also available on Grants.gov or as a fillin PDF form or Word document on the IMLS Web site
2. Program Information Sheet: the three-page form available on pages 60–62 of these
guidelines; also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or
on the IMLS Web site
3. Narrative: not to exceed eight pages
4. Detailed Budget: the three-page form available on pages 65–67 of these guidelines; also
available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS
Web site
5. Summary Budget: the one-page form available on page 68 of these guidelines; also available
as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
6. Specifications for Projects That Develop Digital Products form, if applicable: the two-page form
available on pages 69–70 of these guidelines; also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word
document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
7. Text Responses documents, which must include the following:
a. Abstract
b. Schedule of Completion
c. Budget justification
d. Long-range plan for October 2007–September 2010
e. List of key project staff and consultants
f. Resumes for key project personnel or position descriptions for new personnel (not to
exceed two pages each)
8. Other attachments:
a. Current, federally negotiated rate agreement for indirect costs, if applicable
b. Planning documents, such as needs assessments or digitization plans, if applicable
9. If filing on paper (i.e., not electronically through Grants.gov), the applicant must submit one
original (with the original signature of the tribe’s Authorized Representative) and TEN copies
of the entire application, plus TWO additional copies of the Face Sheet/SF-424s, and a 3.5inch disk or CD containing the project description, abstract, and narrative.
If filing a paper application, do not place the original or copies of the application in a binder or
notebook. Applicants submitting incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. IMLS
will determine if an application is complete. No submitted application materials will be returned.

SF-424s/Face Sheet

c. Web Address: Enter the Web address of the
legal applicant.

SF-424s/Face Sheet

6. Project Information
a. Project Title: Provide a brief descriptive title.
b. Project Description: Briefly describe the
specific project, not the applicant organization.
Use clear language that can be understood
readily by readers who may not be familiar
with the discipline or subject area.
c. Proposed Project Start Date/End Date:
Enter the beginning and ending dates for the
requested period of support—that is, the span
of time necessary to plan, execute, and close
out the proposed project. Projects must begin
between October 1, 2007 and December 1,
2007. Start dates must be the first day of a
month and end dates must be the last day of
a month.

In some organizations, particularly smaller
ones, this individual may be the same as the
project director. If this is the case, check the
“Same as Project Director” box. (If the primary
contact/grants administrator is the same
as the Authorized Representative, please
complete all items under both 8 and 9 even
though there will be some repetition.)

9. Authorized Representative
Enter the name and contact information
of the person who has the authority to
apply for federal support of the applicant’s
activities and enter into legal agreements in
the name of the applicant. The Authorized
Representative should not be the same
person as the project director. By checking
the “I Agree” box at the top of Item 9 and
signing the application, this individual
certifies the applicant’s compliance with
relevant federal requirements (see the
“IMLS Assurances and Certification” section,
pp. 72–75). All written correspondence will be
addressed to the Authorized Representative.
For Grants.gov applications, the “Signature
of Authorized Representative” and “Date
Signed” boxes will be populated on submission
of the application. Paper applications must
be signed and dated by the appropriate
official. Submission of the application by the
Authorized Representative certifies compliance
with relevant federal requirements, and
that the statements in the application are
true, complete, and accurate to the best of
the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s
knowledge.

Program Information SHEET

1. Applicant Information

4–6

a. Legal Name: Enter the legal name of the
applicant.

Applicants for Enhancement Grants should
skip these sections.

7. Institutional Profile

2. Grant Program or Grant Program
Category
Select the box next to “Enhancement Grant”
listed under “g. Native American Library
Services.”

3. Request Information
a. IMLS Funds Requested: Enter the amount
sought from IMLS.
b. Cost Share: Enter the amount here, if
applicable.

Please provide complete information for all
items (a through j) in this section.
i. Supported Activities: Check all applicable
boxes next to the activities that will be
supported by the grant. These activities
are the focus of the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA) and are not listed in
priority order.
j. Maintenance of Effort: Check the one
box that most appropriately corresponds to
the applicant tribe’s level of maintenance
of effort for library services in the past year.
The Enhancement Grant is not intended to
replace funds allocated for library services
by the tribe. An Indian tribe receiving an
Enhancement Grant should expend the same
amount for library services during the grant
period (excluding the grant amount) that was
expended in the 12-month period immediately
preceding it.

8
Applicants for Enhancement Grants should
skip this section.

Narrative

The following section, “Application Evaluation
Criteria,” describes the items to be addressed
in the Native American Enhancement Grant
narrative. The narrative should explain what
need the project will meet, and it should
provide sufficient information for reviewers
to evaluate all criteria. A thorough, succinct
narrative of no more than eight single-spaced
pages should address all of the criteria.
These criteria should be addressed in the
order presented and must be labeled with
the criteria section titles to guide reviewers
in their evaluation. Do not exceed the eightpage limit. Detailed budget discussion should
not be included here, but in a separate
budget justification. Planning documents that
informed the project design, such as needs
assessments or digitization plans, should be
included as “other attachments.”

The application narrative must:
• include the applicant tribe’s name at the
top of each page,
• not exceed the space limits,
• be printable on 8.5- by 11-inch paper,
• have a margin of at least 0.5 inch on all
sides,
• use a 12-point typeface or larger with
standard spacing between letters (i.e., do
not use a condensed typeface),
• use a typeface that contains no more than
six lines per vertical inch, and
• have each page numbered.
Grants.gov applicants should use the
Attachments Form to attach the narrative to
the application. Attachments will be accepted
in one of the following formats only: Microsoft
Word (.doc), Adobe Portable Document Format
(.pdf), Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG (.jpg), rich
text (.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

Application evaluation criteria

Assessment of Need
Describe the community, the library, and the
need(s) the library proposal will address.
• Briefly describe the applicant’s
community, including population profile,
location, economy, educational levels,
languages, culture, and other important
characteristics.
• Describe the current role of the library in
the community and the services it provides.
• Describe the specific audience(s) to be
reached with the Enhancement Grant
project (e.g., particular age groups,
underserved community members, or other
types of target audiences). Describe the
need(s) of the target audience(s) that the
library project will address.
• Provide evidence of the need(s). What
types of formal or informal assessments
have been conducted that identified this
need as a priority for the library?
• What is the best way to address the
need(s)? Why is this a good solution?
Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers will look for
evidence that the applicant has conducted a
formal or informal assessment of community
needs and carefully considered the
appropriate role for the library in addressing
this need and has determined the desired
results of the project.

Project Goals, Required Resources, and
Project Plan
Describe in detail the goals, activities, outputs,
and timeline that will be necessary to ensure
the success of the program. Identify specific
resources that will be needed for each
goal, including staff, materials, equipment,
training, partners, consultants, facilities, and
other resources necessary to develop and
implement the project. Keep in mind that all
project components should be reflected in
the grant budget and budget justification. The
budget should support the project goals and
activities outlined in this application narrative.
For each goal, describe the services and
activities that will be provided to meet the
identified need of the target audience. In what
sequence will project activities occur? What
milestones will be set to keep the project on
schedule or to allow for corrective action?
What resources and staffing are needed to
implement the project activities? In terms of
staffing,
• Who will carry out these activities and
what are their qualifications and levels of
experience?
• How much staff time will be dedicated to
the project?
• Will staff need specialized training to
successfully carry out their duties?
• Will the expertise of other partners
or consultants be required to ensure
success?

application evaluation criteria

Will other tribal, federal, or nonfederal
resources be used to carry out the proposed
project? What other community organizations
will be involved or will strongly support
the proposed project? (Include letters
of commitment or support from these
organizations in the attachments.) How will
positive changes brought about by the project
be maintained beyond the federal grant
period?
Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers will look
for efficient, effective, and reasonable
approaches that will achieve clearly
envisioned project results. They will look for
indications that the design and methods
match the scope of the project; that project
goals can be met successfully; and that
project personnel have relevant experience
and can commit adequate time to carry out
the project activities and achieve project
goals. Reviewers will look for evidence that
partners are contributing to and benefiting
from the project.

Evaluation and Dissemination
Describe how activities will be monitored and
the project’s success will be assessed.
• What outcomes or results will be achieved
for each goal? Outcomes describe changes
or improvements in the skills, attitudes,
knowledge, or behaviors of the target
audience as a consequence of project
activities.
1. What baseline data will be used to
compare with the final results?
2. What information will be collected to
determine whether the outcomes were
met?
3. Who will collect this information, and
from whom?
4. How will it be collected (surveys,
interviews, informal feedback) and how
often?
• How will information about project results
and lessons learned be shared, both
locally and with the Native American library
community at large?
Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers will look for
evidence that the evaluation plan is directly
related to the project’s goals. They will look
for indications that reliable information that
demonstrates the extent of the project’s
success will be collected. They will want
information that shows how project results will
be broadly disseminated.

Budget

The application requires three elements to
describe the costs of a proposed project.
The Detailed Budget for each year of the
project and the Summary Budget that
describes costs for the entire project are
available on pages 65–68 of these guidelines;
they are also available as fill-in PDF forms or
Word documents in the Grants.gov Zip file or
on the IMLS Web site. The third element is the
Budget Justification, which is referenced below
and further explained in the “Text Responses
Document” section (pp. 49–51).

Section A: Detailed Budget
Applicants need to fill out a copy of the
Detailed Budget form for each year of the
project. The first copy of the budget form
should begin on the project start date and
end 12 months later. Applicants using the
PDF or Word fill-in forms can fill out the form
for one year, save it, then fill it out again for
the remaining year. Applicants using the PDF
fill-in forms will notice that the columns total
automatically, whereas applicants using the
Word forms will have to total their columns
manually.
The budget should include the project
costs that will be charged to grant funds as
well as those that will be supported by the
applicant or third-party in-kind contributions
(cost sharing). In-kind contributions include
the value of services or equipment that is
donated to the project free of charge. All of
the items listed, whether supported by grant
funds or cost-sharing contributions, must be
reasonably necessary to accomplish project
objectives, allowable in terms of the applicable
federal cost principles, auditable, and incurred
during the grant period. Charges to the project

for items such as salaries, fringe benefits,
travel, and contractual services must conform
to the written policies and established
practices of the applicant organization. When
indirect costs are charged to the project, care
should be taken to ensure that expenses
included in the organization’s indirect cost
pool (see “Indirect Costs” below) are not
charged to the project as direct costs.
“Method of Cost Computation” can refer to a
percentage of a person’s time devoted to the
project, a number of days, a quantity of items,
and so on. This column should clarify how the
applicant arrived at the costs indicated.
1. Salaries and Wages: Indicate both
temporary and permanent staff by noting
“temp” or “perm” in parentheses after each
staff member listed.
2. Fringe Benefits: Fringe benefits may
include contributions for Social Security,
employee insurance, pension plans, and so
on. Only those benefits not included in an
organization’s indirect cost pool may be shown
as direct costs.
3. Consultant Fees: List any consultants
hired for this project. Identify the costs for
each consultant’s services by the daily fees
charged.
4. Travel: Applicants must include $2,500
per year for travel to attend IMLS-designated
meetings. The lowest available commercial
fares for coach or equivalent accommodations
must be used, and foreign travel must be
undertaken on U.S. flag carriers when such
services are available.

BUDGET

5. Supplies and Materials: In general, list the
costs of material to be purchased specifically
for the proposed project. Permanent
equipment is defined as nonexpendable
personal property having a useful life of more
than one year and an acquisition cost of
$5,000 or more.
6. Services: List the costs of project activities
to be undertaken by a third-party contractor,
including a partner, under this budget category
as a single line item that shows the amount
that will be charged to IMLS grant funds and
the cost sharing that will be contributed by
the third party. Attach a complete itemization
of these costs to the budget form. If there is
more than one contractor, list the cost of each
contract separately on the budget form and
include an attached itemization.
7. Student Support: Enhancement Grant
applicants should skip this section.
8. Other Costs: Please do not use the “Other
Costs” section to list items that did not fit
in the number of lines allotted for another
section. If more lines are needed, the
information should be summarized in the
Detailed Budget form and further explained in
the Budget Justification.

10. Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are project
costs that an organization incurs that
cannot be easily assigned to an individual
project. They are also called “overhead” or
“administrative costs.” Examples of indirectcost type items are charges for utilities,
insurance, use of office space and equipment
owned by the applicant, local telephone
service, and the salaries of the management
and administrative personnel of the
organization.
Organizations that do not have a federally
negotiated indirect cost rate and do not wish
to negotiate one may charge an administrative
fee to the project of up to 15 percent. IMLS
will pay this administrative fee only on
that portion of direct project costs that are
supported by IMLS funds. This fee may also be
applied to the direct project costs that will be
supported by the applicant and may therefore
be counted as part of the applicant’s cost
sharing. If an applicant chooses this option,
it must be careful to exclude all indirect-cost
type items from the budget and the fee may
not be applied to more than the first $5,000 of
distorting costs such as equipment purchases
or subcontracts.

If an organization has a federally negotiated
indirect cost rate that will be current on
the date of award, as cited on the award
notification, this rate may be used to determine
total project costs, as long as the rate is
applied in accordance with the negotiated
agreement and a copy of the negotiation
is forwarded to IMLS with the application.
However, IMLS will pay indirect costs only
on the portion of the direct costs that are
supported by IMLS funds. Indirect costs that
are related to the direct project costs that
will be supported by the applicant may be
included in the budget only as a part of the
applicant’s cost sharing. IMLS will not accept
an indirect cost rate that is scheduled to expire
before the award is issued. Institutions must
use a federally negotiated indirect cost rate
appropriate to the type of project proposed. For
example, a rate for research may be used only
for research projects.

Once an indirect cost rate is accepted by
IMLS, the rate shall be considered fixed for
the duration of the award even if, during the
course of the award, the grantee negotiates a
new indirect cost rate.
If a grantee has one or more predetermined
rates negotiated at the time of the award,
e.g., 30 percent the first year and 32 percent
the second year, these rates may be used in
the project budget.

Section B: Summary Budget
The Summary Budget should clearly identify
the amount requested from IMLS and the
amount provided as in-kind contributions by
the applicant and from any other sources.

An organization that is in the process of
negotiating an indirect cost rate with a
federal agency may apply the proposed rate
to estimate total project costs as long as
it follows the instructions in the previous
paragraph in applying the rate and includes
the indirect cost proposal in the application
material. IMLS will not pay any indirect costs
until a rate is negotiated and a copy of the final
agreement is submitted to the IMLS Office of
Grants Administration. It is possible that the
amount of the award will be reduced if the
final negotiated rate is less than the rate that
was used in the application budget. However,
the amount of the award will not be increased
if the negotiated indirect cost rate is higher
than the rate proposed in the application.

Specifications for Projects That Develop
Digital Products

For a list of resources on digitization projects
that may help applicants complete this form,
see pages 32–34. This list is intended to
assist applicants in learning more about
digitization projects. The list is neither
exhaustive nor an endorsement by IMLS of
any particular resource.

A2.

A3.

If there is not enough space on the form to
provide complete answers to the questions,
please copy the questions to a separate
document, answer them fully, and incorporate
the document (clearly named so as to be
identifiable) into the Text Responses portion of
the application.

Part I
Complete the appropriate sections. Select
box A, B, C, or any combination of these
boxes, depending on the original material the
applicant will be working with and the digital
products that will be developed.
Box A. Converting Non-Digital Material to
Digital Format
A1. Explain the types of original nondigital materials to be selected for
digitization—such as text, photographs,
three-dimensional art objects,
archaeological artifacts, maps, motion
pictures, video—and give the quantity of
each type. For audio, video, and motion
picture materials, give the total number
of minutes or hours to be digitized.
Describe the original format of each
type of material to be digitized.

A4.

Identify all use or access restrictions
covering the original material to be
digitized. Check the intellectual property
condition and give the corresponding
percentage of the original material to be
digitized for which restrictions exist.
Describe the terms of access and use
that will apply to the newly digitized
material being created by the project.
Identify and explain any restrictions
that will apply to the digitized material,
and specify what percentage, if any,
of the total material will be subject to
restrictions. Examples are copyright, no
downloading, and registration.
Explain what equipment and software
will be used and include specifications
that are relevant to the work of the
project (e.g., cameras with zoom
capability, scanners, servers, motorized
object rigs). Equipment and software
must be described, whether the
digitization will be completed in-house
or outsourced to a contractor or partner.

Box B. Repurposing Existing Digital Content
B1. Explain the original materials whose
digital form will be repurposed—such as
digital text (e.g., oral history transcripts),
photographs, video, audio, Web files—
and give the number of each type.
Describe the digital format and the
amount of material to be repurposed.
B2. Identify copyright and other potential
restrictions with regard to the original
digital material. Check the intellectual
property condition and give the
corresponding percentage of the digital
material to be repurposed.
B3. Describe the terms of access and use of
the repurposed digital material. Identify
and explain any restrictions that will
apply to the repurposed digital material,
and specify what percentage, if any,
of the total material will be subject to
restrictions. Examples are copyright, no
downloading, and registration.
B4. Explain what equipment and software
will be used and include specifications
that are relevant to the work of the
project. Equipment must be described,
whether the repurposing will be
completed in-house or outsourced to a
contractor or partner.

Box C. Creating New Digital Content
C1. Explain the types of digital content to be
created—such as digital text (e.g., oral
history transcripts), photographs, video,
audio, Web files—and give the quantity
of each type.
C2. Describe the plan to obtain releases
and permissions from project content
creators (e.g., filmmakers) and subjects
(e.g., oral history interviewees).
C3. Describe the disposition of ownership
of the new product. Describe how the
new product will be made available to
the public. Explain the terms of access
and conditions of use. Identify and
explain any restrictions that will apply
to the new product, and specify what
percentage, if any, of the total material
will be subject to restrictions.
C4. Explain what equipment and software
will be used and include specifications
that are relevant to the work of the
project (e.g., camera, audio recording
equipment, video recording equipment,
encoding software, server). Equipment
must be described, whether the content
will be created in-house or outsourced
to a contractor or partner.

Specifications for Projects That Develop
Digital Products

Part II

10.

Answer all questions.
5.

8.
9.

Specify the file formats to be produced
and the anticipated quality of each
format (e.g., minimum resolution,
depth, tone, pixel dimensions, file
size, sampling rate, compression ratio,
frames per second). If watermarks or
other features will be used, explain.
Provide information for Master, Access,
and Thumbnail versions.
Describe the medium that will be
used to deliver the digital material
(e.g., Internet streaming or download,
broadcast, DVD).
Describe the underlying software to
manage and present the content (e.g.,
DSpace, Fedora, ContentDM).
Describe the plan for ensuring the
technical quality of the digital product.
Explain how descriptive and
administrative metadata will be
produced and used to describe
and manage the content. Include
the standards that will be used
for data structure, content (e.g.,
thesauri), protocols, preservation
and administrative information, and
communication of the content (e.g.,
MARC, EAD, Dublin Core, PBCore, VRA
Core Categories, or Categories for the
Description of Works of Art).

11.

12.

Describe plans for preserving and
maintaining the digital material during
and after the grant period. The plan
should cover storage systems and
media to be used, migration plans,
maintenance responsibilities, and
commitment of institutional funding
support.
If content will be provided on the
Internet, indicate agreement to submit
collection-level records for digital
products to the IMLS Digital Collection
and Content Registry. State reasons for
selecting alternative approaches.
Provide URL(s) for the applicant’s
previously digitized collections, if
applicable. If the proposed digital
collection will differ substantially in look
and feel from collections previously
digitized, explain what the differences
will be.

Text Responses Document

For the following application items, create a
single document that includes all of the items
below, in the order listed and on separate
pages. When it is finished, please run spell
check (if available) and make corrections. Text
Responses documents must
• supply information in the order requested.
• include the title (e.g., Abstract) for each
item.
• have the applicant organization’s name at
the top of each page.
• have a margin of at least 0.5 inch on all
sides.
• have each page numbered.
• use no smaller than a 12-point typeface
with no more than six lines per vertical
inch and standard spacing between letters.
Condensed fonts are not acceptable.
Handwritten text responses are not
acceptable.
Grants.gov applicants should save the
document with the file name “TextResponses.”
Applicants will use the Attachments Form
to add this document to their applications.
Attachments will be accepted in one of the
following formats only: Microsoft Word (.doc),
Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf),
Microsoft Excel (.xls), JPEG (.jpg), rich text
(.rtf), or plain text (.txt).

Abstract
A project abstract of no more than one singlespaced page (600-word maximum) must
be provided. It should be a self-contained
description of the project, including a
statement of objectives and methods to
be used as well as anticipated results and
outcomes.

This abstract may be used by IMLS for
public information purposes, so it should be
informative to other persons working in the
same or related fields and, insofar as possible,
understandable to a technically literate lay
reader. The abstract must not include any
proprietary or confidential information.

Schedule of Completion
The applicant must provide a Schedule of
Completion that shows when each major
project task will be undertaken and marks
the milestones for each grant activity. The
Schedule of Completion must also correspond
to the activities described in the narrative
and the project dates on the Face Sheet/SF424s and budget pages. One way to plot
this information is in a graph or chart that
lists project activities and the corresponding
months when these activities will take place
during the project. This document may be
created as a narrative or spreadsheet, and
should be no longer than one page per year.
See page 71 for an example.

Budget Justification
The budget justification should explain all
elements of the Detailed Budget. For example,
the budget justification should explain the
role that each person listed in the project
budget will play. It should also provide
justification for all proposed equipment,
supplies, travel, services, and other expenses.
The application should provide specifications
for all hardware and software for which IMLS
funding is requested.

Text Responses Document

IMLS encourages applicants to contribute as
cost share the salaries of permanent staff to
be employed on a project in proportion to the
amount of time they will spend on the project.
If IMLS funding is requested for salaries of
permanent staff, the proposal should explain
why funds are requested for this purpose and
how the regular duties of these individuals
will be performed during the grant period. The
budget justification should explain the role
of any outside consultants and third-party
vendors to be employed on the project and
how each was identified and selected. Costs
for third-party service providers should be
documented by bids or otherwise justified.
The cost of project activities to be undertaken
by a third-party contractor should be listed
under “Services” on the Detailed Budget as
a single line item that shows the amount
that will be charged to IMLS grant funds
and the cost sharing that will be provided
by the third party. A complete itemization of
these costs should be included as part of the
budget justification. If there is more than one
contractor, the cost of each contract must be
listed separately on the budget form and an
itemization must be included as part of the
budget justification.

Long-Range Plan
To help ensure that library services meet
current local needs and to help applicants
develop strategies to build services that will be
needed in the future, IMLS requires that the
applicant submit a long-range plan (formerly
called a three-year plan) with the application.
The plan should identify community needs
and how the library will address those needs.
The submission of a long-range plan does not
imply automatic funding for the years covered
in the plan, nor does it imply the availability of
grant funds past the stated grant period.
The long-range plan submitted in 2007 must
cover the period October 2007 through
September 2010. The plan may be a revised
or expanded version of the plan submitted for
the 2007 Basic Grant and it should include
the proposed Enhancement Grant project as
it relates to the library’s mission and future
goals.
State the library’s mission and goals, as well
as the programs and activities that will be
implemented to achieve those goals. Include
an evaluation plan that will demonstrate
progress toward reaching the library’s goals.
Visit the IMLS Web site at www.imls.gov/
pdf/07_longrangeplan.pdf to see a sample
plan. Use the following outline to create a longrange plan.

1. Mission Statement
2. Needs Statement #1
a. Goal
b. Evaluation Plan
1. Key Output Targets
2. Key Outcome Targets
c. Activities/Timeline
3. Needs Statement #2
a. Goal
b. Evaluation Plan
1. Key Output Targets
2. Key Outcome Targets
c. Activities/Timeline
Additional needs statements as appropriate
IMLS supports and encourages the use of
an evaluation tool called outcome-based
evaluation (OBE). This system of measuring
results replaces the question, “What activities
did we carry out?” with the question, “What
changed as a result of our work?” A focus
on measuring outcomes—the effect of an
institution’s activities and services on the
people it serves—rather than on the services
themselves (outputs) is an emerging keystone
of library programs. Additional information
about OBE is available on the IMLS Web site
at www.imls.gov/applicants/obe.shtm or on
request from IMLS.

List of Key Project Staff and Consultants
and Resumes for Key Project Personnel
1. Provide a list of the key project staff
and the consultants who will be directly
involved in the program.
2. Add resumes or curriculum vitae of no
more than two pages each for all key
personnel (both staff and consultants).
Add a page break at the end of the list of
personnel, then add page breaks at the
end of each of the resumes/curriculum
vitae.
3. If the key project personnel have not been
selected by the application deadline date,
then submit position descriptions instead
of resumes. Because application reviewers
rely on resumes to determine the project’s
potential for success, if the personnel have
not been chosen, the application may be at
a competitive disadvantage.

Other Attachments

Supporting Documentation

Points to Remember

Applicants may include documents that
specifically relate to the justification for
the project. Web links within the proposal
narrative to relevant online materials are
preferred to attachments.

• The number of attachments that may
be included is not limited. However, all
attachments must relate specifically to the
applicant’s project. Grants.gov applicants
are provided with two Attachments Forms,
each allowing up to 15 attachments.
Applicants are encouraged to create
multipage documents that include multiple
attachments, when possible.
• Do not overburden the reviewers with
unnecessary materials.
• All attachments should include dates of
creation and authorship.

submitting grants.gov applications

1. In the top left corner of the Grants.gov menu
screen, applicants will see “Submit,” “Save,”
“Print,” “Cancel,” and “Check Package for
Errors” buttons.

Applications can be submitted until
11:59 p.m. (eastern time) on May 1.
However, applicants are strongly
encouraged to submit applications early,
in case of delays resulting from heavy online
traffic or to deal with any last-minute
problems that may be encountered.

2. Once applicants have completed the
application (i.e., all of the Mandatory
Documents have been completed and
moved to the “Completed Documents” box),
they should click the “Check Package for
Errors” button to double-check that they
have provided all required information.
3. Applicants should then click the “Save”
button one last time to make sure that all
of the most current information is saved.
(At this point, the invalid values message
should not pop up.)
4. Applicants should print out a hard copy of
the completed application for their files.
Clicking the “Print” button will print out all
of the forms in the “Mandatory Completed
Documents for Submission” box. Applicants
who desire a hard copy of the items
attached to the Attachments Form will
have to print those out on their own.
5. The authorized official will click the “Submit”
button. The “Submit” button will not become
active until the application is saved with all
required fields completed. Clicking this
button will reconnect the user to Grants.gov
and the Internet. The authorized official will
be prompted to provide the Grants.gov UserID
and password that were obtained during the
Grants.gov registration process. Applicants
should be certain that they are satisfied with
their application before clicking the “Submit”
button. No changes or revisions are possible
once the application is submitted.

submitting paper applications

Applicants not using Grants.gov to apply for
funding should ship or hand-deliver their
paper applications for a Native American
Library Services Enhancement Grant to the
following address:
Native American Library Services
Office of Library Services
Institute of Museum and Library Services
1800 M Street, NW, 9th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-5802
Applications must be postmarked, shipped,
or hand delivered no later than May 1, 2007.

Shipping
• All applications must be postmarked
no later than the May 1 application
deadline. Applications that do not meet the
postmark deadline will be rejected without
evaluation.
• Please consider using commercial delivery
services. Overnight delivery is not required;
ground service is acceptable.
• If the U.S. Postal Service is used to deliver
the application, IMLS recommends
certified or registered mail.
• Because of the length of the application
and the number of copies required for
complete submission, applications cannot
be accepted by fax or e-mail.
• If an application is received more than
30 working days after the application
deadline, it may be rejected.

Hand Delivery
IMLS accepts hand-delivered applications
between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (eastern
time) daily, except Saturday, Sunday, and
federal holidays. IMLS will provide a dated
receipt at the time of delivery.

Application Forms
and Assurances

Basic Grant Application Checklist

An application requesting Basic Grant funding should include the following materials:
 Face Sheet: the two-page Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424s) available on pages 58–59; also available on Grants.gov or as a fill-in PDF
form or Word document on the IMLS Web site
 Program Information Sheet: the three-page form available on pages 60–62; also available as
a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
 Part A—Project Budget for 2007 Native American Basic Grant: available on page 63; also
available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS
Web site
 Part B—Project Budget for 2007 Education/Assessment Option (if requested): available on
page 64; also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on
the IMLS Web site
 Long-range plan for October 2007–September 2010
If submitting a paper application, applicants must include
 AN ORIGINAL AND ONE COPY of the complete application package
 A copy of this checklist with your application package

Enhancement Grant Application Checklist

An application requesting Enhancement Grant funding should include the following materials:
 Face Sheet: the two-page Application for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short Organizational
Form (SF-424s) available on pages 58–59; also available on Grants.gov or a fill-in PDF form
or Word document on the IMLS Web site
 Program Information Sheet: the three-page form available on pages 60–62; also available as
a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
 Narrative (not to exceed eight pages)
 Detailed Budget: the three-page form available on pages 65–67; also available as a fill-in
PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
 Summary Budget: the one-page form available on page 68; also available as a fill-in PDF form
or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
 Specifications for Projects That Develop Digital Products form, if applicable: the two-page
form available on pages 69–70; also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the
Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site
 Text Responses documents, including the following:







Abstract
Schedule of Completion
Budget justification
Long-range plan for October 2007–September 2010
List of key project staff and consultants
Resumes of key project personnel or position descriptions for new personnel (not to
exceed two pages each)

 Other attachments:
 Current, federally negotiated rate agreement for indirect costs, if applicable
 Planning documents, such as needs assessments or digitization plans, if applicable
If submitting a paper application, applicants must include the following:
 AN ORIGINAL AND TEN COPIES of the complete application package, plus two additional
copies of the Face Sheet/SF-424s, and a 3.5-inch disk or CD containing the project
description, abstract, and narrative
 A copy of this checklist with your application package

face sheet - page one
Please note: Questions 1—4 will auto-fill for Grants.gov applicants and are not required for paper applicants.
5. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name:
b. Address:

Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

c. Web Address: http://

d. Type of Applicant (check one):










State Government
County Government
City or Township Government
Special District Government
Regional Organization
U.S. Territory or Possession
Independent School District
Public/State-Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally
Recognized)
 Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than
Federally Recognized)
 Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization
 Public/Indian Housing Authority

 Nonprofit with 501(c)3 IRS Status (Other than Institution
of Higher Education)
 Nonprofit without 501(c)3 IRS Status (Other than
Institution of Higher Education)
 Private Institution of Higher Education
 Individual
 For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
 Small Business
 Hispanic-serving Institution
 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
 Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
 Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions
 Nondomestic (non-U.S.) Entity
 Other (specify)

e. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN):

f. Organizational DUNS:

6. Project Information
a. Project Title:
b. Project Description:

c. Proposed Project Start Date:

End Date:

7. Project Director
a. Social Security Number: N/A
b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

OMB Number: 4040-0003, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007

face sheet - page two

7. Project Director (continued)
k. Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

8. Primary Contact/Grants Administrator


Same as Project Director (skip to next item)

b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

a. Social Security Number: N/A
d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

k. Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Province: N/A

Country:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

9. Authorized Representative
*By signing this application, I certify (1) to the statements contained in the list of certifications** and (2) that the statements
herein are true, complete, and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I also provide the required assurances** and agree to
comply with any resulting terms if I accept an award. I am aware that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may
subject me to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties (U.S. Code, Title 218, Section 1001).
**The list of certifications and assurances, or an Internet site where you may obtain this list, is contained in the announcement
or agency-specific instructions.

a.  *I Agree
b. Prefix:

c. First Name:

d. Middle Name:

e. Last Name:

f. Suffix:

g. Title:

h. E-mail:

i. Telephone Number:

j. Fax Number:

k. Signature of Authorized Representative:
l. Date Signed:

Program information sheet - page one

1. Applicant Information
a. Legal Name (5a from Face Sheet):
b. Organizational Unit (if different from Legal Name):
c. Organizational Unit Address
Street1:

Street2:

City:

County:

State:

Zip+4/Postal Code:

d. Web Address: http://
e. Type of Institution (check one):
Academic Library
 Library Association
 School Library, or School District
Aquarium
 Library Consortium
applying on behalf of a School
Arboretum/Botanical garden
 Museum Library
Library or Libraries
Art Museum
 Museum Services Organization/
 Science/Technology Museum
Children’s/Youth Museum
Association
 Special Library
Community College
 Native American Tribe/Native
 Specialized Museum**
Four-year College
Hawaiian Organization
 State Library
General Museum*
 Natural History/Anthropology
 State Museum Agency
Graduate School of Library and
Museum
 State Museum Library
Information Science
 Nature Center
 Zoo
 Historic House/Site
 Planetarium
 Institution of higher education other
 Historically Black College or
 Public Library
than listed above
University
 Research Library/Archives
 Other, please specify:
 History Museum

*A museum with collections representing two or more disciplines equally (e.g., art and history)
**A museum with collections limited to one narrowly defined discipline (e.g., textiles, stamps, maritime, ethnic group)










2. Grant Program or Grant Program Category
 a. 21st Century Museum
Professionals

















b. Conservation Project Support
General Conservation Survey
Detailed Conservation Survey
Environmental Survey
Environmental Improvements
Treatment
Research
Training
Impact Project

 d. Museum Grants for African
American History and Culture
e. Museums for America
 Sustaining Cultural Heritage
 Supporting Lifelong Learning
 Serving as Centers of Community
Engagement
f. National Leadership Grants
Select Museum or Library:
 Museum
 Library
Select Grant Category:
 Building Digital Resources
 Library and Museum Community
Collaboration Grant
Research and Demonstration:
 Research
 Demonstration
 Collaborative Planning Grant

c. Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarian Program
Master’s-level Programs
Doctoral-level Programs
Pre-professional Programs
Research (early career development)
Research (other than early career
development)
Continuing Education
Programs to Build Institutional Capacity
60

g. Native American Library Services
 Basic Grant only
 Basic Grant with Education/
Assessment Option
 Enhancement Grant
 Native Hawaiian Library Services
h. Native American/Native
Hawaiian Museum Services
 Programming
 Professional Development
 Enhancement of Museum Services
 i. Partnership for a Nation of
Learners Community Collaboration
Grants

Program information sheet - page two

3. Request Information
a. IMLS funds requested:

b. Cost share amount:

4. Museum Profile (Museum Applicants only)
a. Is the institution either a unit of state or local government or a private not-for-profit organization that has taxexempt status under the Internal Revenue Code and that is organized on a permanent basis for essentially
educational or aesthetic purposes?

Yes

No
b. Does the institution own or use tangible objects, whether animate or inanimate?
c. Does the institution care for tangible objects, whether animate or inanimate?


Yes
 Yes


No

No

d. Are these objects exhibited by the institution to the general public on a regular basis through facilities the
institution owns or operates?

Yes

No
e. Is the institution open and exhibiting tangible objects to the general public at least 120 days a year through
facilities the institution owns or operates?

Yes

No
Offsite:
Institution’s attendance for the 12-month period prior to the application: Onsite:
Year the institution was first open and exhibiting to the public:
Total number of days the institution was open to the public for the 12-month period prior to application:
f. Does the institution employ at least one professional staff member, or the full-time equivalent, whether paid or
unpaid, who is primarily engaged in the acquisition, care, or exhibition to the public of tangible objects owned or
used by the institution?  Yes

No
Number of full-time paid institution staff:
Number of part-time paid institution staff:
g.

Fiscal year

Revenue/
Support income

Expenses/
Outlays

Number of full-time unpaid institution staff:
Number of part-time unpaid institution staff:
Budget deficit
(if applicable)*

Budget surplus
(if applicable)*

Most recently
completed FY
Second most recently
completed FY
*If Institution has a budget deficit or surplus for either of the two most recently completed fiscal years, please
explain the circumstances of this deficit or surplus in the Text Responses section of the application.

5. Public Broadcasting Licensee Information (Partnership for a Nation of Learners Grants only)
a. Nonfederal financial support (NFFS) for the most recently completed fiscal year: $

.00

b. CPB CSG ID#

6. Native Hawaiian Organization Eligibility (Native American/Native Hawaiian Programs only)
Is the institution an eligible not-for-profit organization that primarily serves and represents Native Hawaiians (as defined
in Title 20 U.S.C. Section 7517; if yes, see Proof of Eligibility requirements)?

Yes

No

Program information sheet - page three

7. Institutional Profile (Native American Library Services Grants only)
a. Number of hours per week the library collection is accessible to patrons:
b. Number of staff dedicated full-time to library operations:
c. Number of staff with part-time library duties:
d. Number of holdings (books, journals, media):
e. Number of circulation transactions per year:
f. Does library staff have access to the Internet?  Yes

No
g. Does the library provide public access to the Internet?

Yes

No
h. Amount of operating budget for library services in most recently completed fiscal year: $
i. Identify which of the following activities will be supported by grant funds (check all that apply):

Expand services for learning and access to information and educational resources.
Develop library services that provide all users with access to information.
Provide electronic and other linkages between and among all types of libraries.
Develop public and private partnerships with other agencies and community-based organizations.
Target library services to help increase the access and the ability to use information resources for individuals of diverse
backgrounds, with disabilities, or with limited functional literacy or information skills.
 Target library and information services to help increase the access and the ability to use information resources for persons
having difficulty using a library, and for underserved urban and rural communities.






j. Maintenance of Effort (check the appropriate response):

 FY 2007 expenditures will equal or exceed previous 12-month grant period. Maintenance of effort is assured.
 FY 2007 expenditures will not equal or exceed previous 12-month expenditure. Maintenance of effort is not assured.
 Maintenance of effort does not apply.

8. Collection and Material Information (Conservation Project Support Grants only)
a. Type of Collection
 Nonliving
 Animals, living




Natural History/Anthropology
Plants, living

b. Types of Materials. Use a scale from 1 (primarily affected) to 4 (minimally affected) to show which collection types
are primarily affected by the project:
aeronautics, space/airplanes
animals, live
animals, preserved
anthropologic, ethnographic
archaeological
books
ceramics, glass, metals, plastics
documents, manuscripts
furniture/wooden objects
geological, mineral,
paleontological
historic buildings
historic sites

horological (clocks)
landscape features, constructed
machinery
maritime, historic ships
medals
medical, dental, health,
pharmacological
military, including weapons
motion picture, audiovisual
musical instruments
numismatics (money)
paintings
philatelic (stamps)

photography, negatives
photography, prints
physical science projects
plants, live
plants, preserved
sculpture, indoor
sculpture, outdoor
textiles and costumes
tools
toys and dolls
transportation, excluding
airplanes
works of art on paper

Basic Grant Budget Part A—Project Budget for Basic Grant

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: __________________________________________________
Use the following form for the Basic Grant project budget. The total should equal $5,000, no more and no less. No
indirect costs are allowed. This form is also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word document in the Grants.gov Zip
file or on the IMLS Web site at www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeAmerican.shtm. See the sample budget below
for guidance.
Spending Categories

Estimated Cost

1. Library Personnel

2. Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

3. Services

4. Other (describe)

Total:

$5,000

Sample Project Budget
Spending Categories

Estimated Cost

1. Library Personnel
• Library staff/tutor for after-school hours—
$9.00/hr × 5 hrs/week × 50 weeks = $2,250

$2,250

2. Materials, Supplies, and Equipment
• New library books and magazine subscriptions
• New computer

$1,200
$ 900

3. Services
• Storyteller events at the library—$50 honorarium for five storytellers
• Training for graphic design for library newsletter

$ 250
$ 100

4. Other
• Internet service provider fees—$25/month × 12 months

$ 300
Total:

$5,000

Basic Grant Budget Part B—Project Budget for Basic Grant
Education/Assessment Option

APPLICANT ORGANIZATION: __________________________________________________
The purpose of the Education/Assessment Option is to provide funding for tribal library staff to attend libraryrelated continuing education courses and/or training workshops on- or offsite; to attend or give presentations at
conferences related to library services; and/or to hire a consultant for an onsite professional library assessment.
Use the following form to describe how the Education/Assessment Option grant will be spent. The total should equal
$1,000, no more and no less. No indirect costs are allowed. This form is also available as a fill-in PDF form or Word
document in the Grants.gov Zip file or on the IMLS Web site at www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeAmerican.
shtm. See the sample budget below for guidance.
Spending Categories

Estimated Cost

1. Library-related Continuing Education/Training

2. Travel to Conferences, Continuing Education, and Other Library-related Training

3. Services of a Professional Librarian to Conduct an Onsite Library Assessment and
Provide Written Assessment and Recommendations

Total:

$1,000

Sample Project Budget
Spending Categories

Estimated Cost

1. Continuing Education/Training
• Registration for state library conference

$100

2. Travel to Conferences, Continuing Education, and Other Library-related Training
• Travel to state library conference, hotel, meals

$300

3. Services of a Professional Librarian to Conduct an Onsite Library Assessment
• Site visit for collection assessment and report of recommendations

$600
Total:

$1,000

enhancement grant Budget Form - Page one

a. Legal Name (5a from Face Sheet):
b. Requested Grant Period From:

Requested Grant Period Through:

c. If this is a revised budget, indicate application/grant number:

Section A: Detailed Budget
a. Year:
1 
2 
3 
4 

b. Budget Detail for the Period From:

c. Through:

1. Salaries and Wages
Name/Title of Position

No.

Method of Cost Computation

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

2. Fringe Benefits
Rate

$ Salary Base
% of
% of
% of
SUBTOTALS

3. Consultant Fees
Name or Type of Consultant

No. of
days

Daily Rate of Compensation

SUBTOTALS
65

enhancement grant Budget Form - Page two

4. Travel
No. of
No. of
persons days

From/To

$ Subsistence
Costs

$ Transportation
Costs

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

5. Supplies and Materials
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS

6. Services
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS
66

OMB Number: 3137-0029, Expiration Date: 01/31/2007

enhancement grant Budget Form - Page three

7. Student Support (Laura Bush 21st Century Librarians Program only)
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

SUBTOTALS

8. Other Costs
Item

Basis/Method of Cost Computation

SUBTOTALS

9. Total Direct Costs
TOTALS (Add subtotals of items 1 to 8)

10. Indirect Costs
Read the instructions about Indirect Costs before completing this section. Check the appropriate box below and
provide the information requested.



Current indirect cost rate(s) have been negotiated with
a federal agency (for item A, indicate the name of the
agency and date of agreement expiration; complete item B).
Indirect cost proposal has been submitted to a federal
agency but not yet negotiated (for item A, indicate the name
of the agency and date of proposal; complete item B).




Applicant chooses a rate not to exceed 15% of direct
costs (complete item B).
Applicant is a State Library Administrative Agency and will
charge an administrative fee of 4% of total costs
(complete item B).

Item A: Name of federal agency:
Expiration Date:
Rate

Item B:

Proposal Date:
$ Base

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

$ Grant Funds

$ Cost Sharing

$ Total

% of
% of
% of
SUBTOTALS

11. Total Project Costs
PROJECT COST TOTALS (Direct and Indirect for Budget Period)
PROJECT COST TOTALS (Excluding Student Support)

enhancement grant Budget Form - Page Four

Section B: Summary Budget
$ IMLS

$ Cost Share

$ TOTAL COSTS

1. Salaries and Wages
2. Fringe Benefits
3. Consultant Fees
4. Travel
5. Supplies and Materials
6. Services
7. Student Support
8. Other Costs
TOTAL DIRECT COSTS (1—8)
9. Indirect Costs
TOTAL COSTS (Direct and Indirect)
Project Funding for the Entire Grant Period
1. Grant Funds Requested from IMLS
2. Cost Sharing:
a. Cash Contribution
b. In-Kind Contribution
c. Other Federal Agencies*
d. TOTAL COST SHARING
3. TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING (1+2d)
% of Total Costs Requested from IMLS
* If funding has been requested from another federal agency, indicate the agency’s name:

Specifications for Projects that Develop Digital Products

Part I. Complete the appropriate section(s):
A. Converting Non-Digital Material to Digital Format

A1. Describe types and original formats of materials to be selected for digitization and quantity of each.
A2. Identify copyright issues and other potential restrictions with regard to the original non-digital material.
 Public domain:
% of total.
 Privacy concerns:
% of total. Plan to address:
 Permissions have been obtained:
 Permissions to be requested:
Plan to address:

% of total.
% of total.

 Other:

% of total. Explain:

A3. Describe how the newly digitized material will be made available to the public. Explain the terms of access and
conditions of use. Identify and explain any restrictions that will apply to digitized material and specify what percentage if
any of the total material will be subject to restrictions.
A4. List the equipment and software, with specifications, whether purchased, leased, or outsourced, that will be used (e.g.,
camera, scanner, server, A/D audio or video converter).

B. Repurposing Existing Digital Content

B1. Describe types and original formats of digital materials to be selected for repurposing and quantity of each.
B2. Identify copyright issues and other potential restrictions with regard to the original digital material.
 Public domain:
% of total.
 Privacy concerns:
% of total. Plan to address:
 Permissions have been obtained:
 Permissions to be requested:
Plan to address:

% of total.
% of total.

 Other:

% of total. Explain:

B3. Describe how the repurposed material will be made available to the public. Explain the terms of access and conditions
of use. Identify and explain any restrictions that will apply to repurposed material and specify what percentage if any of the
total material will be subject to restrictions.
B4. List the equipment and software, with specifications, whether purchased, leased, or outsourced, that will be used (e.g.,
MPEG encoder, non-linear editing system, GIS software).

Specifications for Projects that Develop Digital Products

C. Creating New Digital Content
C1. Describe types of materials to be created in digital form and quantity of each.
C2. Describe plan to obtain releases/permissions from project content creators and subjects.
C3. Describe disposition of ownership and use rights of new product. Describe how the new product will be made available
to the public. Explain the terms of access and conditions of use. Identify and explain any restrictions that will apply to new
content and specify what percentage if any of the total material will be subject to restrictions.
C4. List the equipment and software, with specifications, whether purchased, leased, or outsourced, that will be used (e.g.,
camera, audio recording equipment, video recording equipment, encoding software, server).

Part II. Answer all questions:
5. Specify each type of file format (e.g., TIFF, JPEG, MPEG) to be produced and anticipated quality (e.g., minimum resolution,
depth, tone, pixel dimensions, file size, sampling rate) of each.
Master:
Access:
Thumbnail:
6. Describe the delivery medium that will be used (e.g., Internet, broadcast, DVD).

7. Describe the underlying software to manage and/or present the content (e.g., DSpace, Fedora, ContentDM).

8. Describe the quality control plan.

9. Explain how descriptive and administrative metadata will be produced and used to describe and manage the content.
Include the standards that will be used for data structure, content (e.g., thesauri), protocols, preservation and administrative
information, and communication of the content (e.g., MARC, EAD, Dublin Core, PBCore, VRA Core Categories, or Categories for
the Description of Works of Art).

10. Describe plans for preservation and maintenance of the digital files during and after the expiration of the grant period (i.e.,
storage systems, migration plans, and commitment of institutional funding).
11. If content will be provided on the Internet, indicate agreement to submit collection-level records for digital products to the
IMLS Digital Collections Registry. State reasons for selecting alternative approaches.
12. Provide URL(s) for applicant’s previous digital products, if applicable.

Activity Eleven

Activity Ten

Activity Nine

Activity Eight

Activity Seven

Activity Six

Activity Five

Activity Four

Activity Three

Activity Two

Activity One

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

This is a sample format for a Schedule of Completion (see p. 49). Applicants may prepare theirs in a similar
manner, but this format is not required. Whatever format is selected, be sure to list each major project activity
addressed in the application narrative and the date each activity begins and ends. It is critical that the dates
on the Schedule of Completion correspond to the project dates on the Application for Federal Domestic
Assistance/Short Organizational Form (SF-424s; also known as the Face Sheet). If the proposed activity is
part of a larger project, make sure the IMLS-funded portion is clearly identified.

sample schedule of completion

IMLS Assurances and Certification

IMLS is required to obtain from all
applicants certifications regarding federal
debt status, debarment and suspension,
nondiscrimination, and a drug-free workplace.
Applicants requesting more than $100,000
in grant funds must also certify regarding
lobbying activities and may be required to
submit a “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”
(Standard Form LLL). Some applicants will be
required to certify that they will comply with
other federal statutes that pertain to their
particular situation. These requirements are
incorporated in the Assurances Statement
below. The authorized representative must
review the statement and provide the
certification in item 9 on the Application
for Federal Domestic Assistance/Short
Organizational Form (SF-424s).

Assurances Statement
By signing the application form, the authorized
representative, on behalf of the applicant,
assures and certifies that, should a grant be
awarded, the applicant will comply with the
statutes outlined below and all related IMLS
regulations, which are found in 45 C.F.R.
Chapter XI, Subchapter E (Institute of Museum
and Library Services). These assurances are
given in connection with any and all financial
assistance from IMLS after the date this form
is signed, but may include payments after this
date for financial assistance approved prior
to this date. These assurances shall obligate
the applicant for the period during which the
federal financial assistance is extended. The
applicant recognizes and agrees that any such
assistance will be extended in reliance on
the representations and agreements made in
these assurances, and that the United States
government has the right to seek judicial
enforcement of these assurances, which
are binding on the applicant, its successors,
transferees, and assignees, and on the
authorized official whose signature appears
on the application form.

Certifications Required of All Applicants
Financial, Administrative, and Legal
Accountability
The authorized representative, on behalf of
the applicant, certifies that the applicant has
legal authority to apply for federal assistance
and the institutional, managerial, and financial
capability (including funds sufficient to pay
the nonfederal share of project costs) to
ensure proper planning, management, and
completion of the project described in this
application.
The authorized representative, on behalf of
the applicant, certifies that the applicant will
cause to be performed the required financial
and compliance audits in accordance with
the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996
(31 U.S.C. § 7501 et seq.) and OMB
Circular No. A-133, “Audits of States, Local
Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations.”
The authorized representative, on behalf
of the applicant, certifies that the applicant
will comply with the provisions of OMB
Circular No. A-110, “Uniform Administrative
Requirements for Grants and Agreements with
Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals,
and Other Non-Profit Organizations.”
Federal Debt Status
The authorized representative, on behalf of
the applicant, certifies to the best of his or
her knowledge and belief that the applicant
is not delinquent in the repayment of any
federal debt.

Suspension, Debarment, and Other
Responsibility Matters
1. The authorized representative, on behalf
of the applicant, certifies to the best of
his or her knowledge and belief that the
applicant and its principals:
(a) are not presently excluded or
disqualified;
(b) have not been convicted within
the preceding three years of any
of the offenses listed in 45 C.F.R.
1185.800(a) or had a civil judgment
rendered against the applicant or its
principals for one of those offenses
within that time period;
(c) are not presently indicted for or
otherwise criminally or civilly charged
by a governmental entity (federal,
state, or local) with commission of
any of the offenses listed in 45 C.F.R.
1185.800(a); and
(d) have not had one or more public
transactions (federal, state, or local)
terminated within the preceding three
years for cause or default.
2. The authorized representative, on behalf
of the applicant, further certifies that the
applicant and its principals will comply
with 45 C.F.R. Part 1185 Subpart C
(Responsibilities of Participants Regarding
Transactions) and will require similar
compliance with Subpart C by persons
at the next lower tier with whom the
primary tier participant enters into covered
transactions.

IMLS Assurances and Certification

Nondiscrimination
The authorized representative, on behalf of
the applicant, certifies that the applicant will
comply with the following nondiscrimination
statutes and their implementing regulations:
(a) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
as amended (42 U.S.C. § 2000 et seq.),
which prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, or national origin;
(b) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 701 et
seq.), which prohibits discrimination on
the basis of disability;
(c) Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. §§
1681–83, 1685–86), which prohibits
discrimination on the basis of sex in
education programs; and
(d) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. § 6101
et seq.), which prohibits discrimination on
the basis of age.
Drug-Free Workplace
The authorized representative, on behalf of
the applicant, certifies, as a condition of the
award, that the applicant will or will continue
to provide a drug-free workplace by complying
with the requirements in Subpart B of 45
C.F.R. Part 1186.

This includes: making a good faith effort, on
a continuing basis, to maintain a drug-free
workplace; publishing a drug-free workplace
statement; establishing a drug-free awareness
program for its employees; taking actions
concerning employees who are convicted of
violating drug statutes in the workplace; and
identifying (either with this application or upon
award, or in documents kept on file in the
applicant’s office) all known workplaces under
the award.
Certification Regarding Lobbying Activities
(Applies to Applicants Requesting Funds in
Excess of $100,000)
The authorized representative certifies, to the
best of his or her knowledge and belief, that:
(a) no federal appropriated funds have been
paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the
authorized representative to any person
for influencing or attempting to influence
an officer or employee of any agency,
a Member of Congress, an officer or
employee of Congress, or an employee
of a Member of Congress in connection
with the awarding of a federal contract,
the making of a federal grant, the making
of a federal loan, the entering into of a
cooperative agreement, or the extension,
continuation, renewal, amendment, or
modification of a federal contract, grant,
loan, or cooperative agreement;

(b) if any funds other than appropriated
federal funds have been paid or will be
paid to any person (other than a regularly
employed officer or employee of the
applicant) for influencing or attempting
to influence an officer or employee of
any agency, a Member of Congress, an
officer or employee of Congress, or an
employee of a Member of Congress in
connection with this federal contract,
grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the
authorized representative shall request,
complete, and submit Standard Form LLL,
“Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” in
accordance with its instructions; and
(c) the authorized representative shall require
that the language of this certification
be included in the award documents
for all subawards at all tiers (including
subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts
under grants, loans, and cooperative
agreements) and that all subrecipients
shall certify and disclose accordingly.

Certifications Required of Some
Applicants
The following certification is required if
applicable to the project for which an
application is being submitted. Applicants
should be aware that additional federal
certifications, not listed below, might apply to
a particular project.
Historic Properties
The authorized representative, on behalf
of the applicant, certifies that the applicant
will assist the awarding agency in ensuring
compliance with Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as
amended (16 U.S.C. § 470f), Executive Order
(E.O.) 11593, and the Archaeological and
Historic Preservation Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.
§ 469 et seq.).

General Certification
The authorized representative, on behalf
of the applicant, certifies that the applicant
will comply with all applicable requirements
of all other federal laws, executive orders,
regulations, and policies governing the
program. IMLS grant regulations may be found
at 45 C.F.R. Chapter XI, Subchapter E (Institute
of Museum and Library Services).

Application Tips

To Make Your Application More Competitive…
• Start with a good idea! Identify the problem you are trying to solve and a potential solution
that grant funding would support. Remember that competitive programs are often very
competitive. In general, projects that benefit more than one institution and reach a broad
audience will be the most competitive.
• Match your idea with the appropriate funder and program—contact the program officer to find
out if your idea matches the goals of the program.
• Read the program guidelines carefully and note all instructions and deadlines. It takes time to
develop a good proposal and a good project, so give yourself plenty of it.
• Assemble your project team, including external partners—your team will be your most
important asset.
• Meet to discuss all aspects of the project and all of the program evaluation criteria—identify
assets, weaknesses, and potential allies. Ask questions: Who is the target audience? What
are the anticipated outcomes (who will benefit and how)? How can the benefits be measured
(how will you know if you succeed)? Who will know about it? Generally, projects involving two
or more institutions will require time and ongoing discussions to develop a strong relationship,
but projects based on these kinds of collaborative relationships will be more competitive for
funding and more successful in execution. Involve potential allies as partners, members of
advisory boards, or writers of support letters. They will help to disseminate results and extend
the benefit.
• Develop a draft proposal—follow the recommended format and all instructions, and address
all of the evaluation criteria in the order prescribed. Be sure to highlight your assets and try to
resolve potential weaknesses (e.g., arrange to hire a consultant if your team lacks expertise in
a specific area). Write in plain, understandable language.
• Contact your program officer for clarification of questions.
• Ask others who have not been involved in the project to read your draft—they may notice an
important omission or weakness.
• Revise your proposal and submit it on time.
• If your proposal is not successful, do not be discouraged. Read the reviewers’ comments
carefully—they can provide important suggestions for improving your project. Ask your program
officer to help clarify any comments that you do not understand.
IMLS has available for review on its Web site (www.imls.gov) examples of successful application
narratives for the Native American Library Services program. You may view them on or download
them from the Web site to use as guides in the preparation of your own narrative. Contact the
Office of Library Services at 202/653-4700 if you have questions.

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