Justification for Change - LB21 NLG-L 2017--TO OMB

Justification for Change

3137-0091

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program and National Leadership Grants for Libraries program

IMLS is requesting a change to a previously approved clearance in order to change the Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian Program and National Leadership Grants for Libraries program. This updated grant program clearance is requesting the same expiration date of 07/31/2018.

Request abstract:

The information collections in this package include the guidelines and instructions to apply for IMLS support in the Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian Program and the National Leadership Grants for Libraries program.

Justification for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program

The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (LB21) supports professional development, graduate education, and continuing education to help libraries and archives develop the human capital capacity they need to meet the changing learning and information needs of the American public.

IMLS has continued to bring its Notice of Funding Opportunity templates into close conformity with the standards set forth in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 C.F.R. part 200, in particular Appendix I – Full Text of Funding Opportunity). The attached draft reflects those efforts.

The attached draft also contains a few minor language clarifications to reduce applicant confusion in several sections of the NOFO; removes a few errors introduced during the agency standardization of NOFOs; and responds to requests from both internal staff, as well as the applicant community, to better align the LB21 grant program language with IMLS’s National Leadership Grant for Libraries (NLG-L). In the latter area, the changes align language around agency priorities, funding categories, and project categories to make the LB21 NOFO more consistent with the NLG-L NOFO, as well as adjust the maximum award amount and baseline cost sharing rules for LB21 projects. The changes allow for LB21 projects to address training and knowledge needs identified through NLG-L projects and potentially, later, empower librarians to fill gaps in community needs through NLG-L project proposals themselves.

The respondent burden should remain the same.

Justification for the National Leadership Grants for Libraries

National Leadership Grants for Libraries (NLG-L) support projects that address challenges faced by the library and archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment.

IMLS has continued to bring its Notice of Funding Opportunity templates into close conformity with the standards set forth in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 C.F.R. part 200, in particular Appendix I – Full Text of Funding Opportunity). The attached draft reflects those efforts.

The attached draft also contains a few minor language clarifications to reduce applicant confusion in several sections of the NOFO; removes a few errors introduced during the agency standardization of NOFOs; and responds to requests from both internal staff, as well as the applicant community, to better align the NLG-L grant program language with IMLS’s Laura Bush 21^st Century Librarian (LB21) program. In the latter area, the changes align language around agency priorities, funding categories, and project categories to make the NLG-L NOFO more consistent with the LB21 NOFO.

The respondent burden should remain the same.