IMLS Evaluation of Grant Programs Funded by the ARPA and the CARES Act.

In direct response to the COVID–19 pandemic, IMLS awarded roughly $250 million in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds for distribution to State Library Administrative Agencies (SLAAs), libraries, and museums. The emergency appropriations funded formula and discretionary grant programs, with IMLS distributing more than 85 percent of these funds to each SLAA through the IMLS’ Grants to States (G2S) program’s pre-existing formula grant program and the remaining 15 percent was distributed to museums and libraries through special discretionary program Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). The proposed evaluation of IMLS’s ARPA and CARES Act grant programs will include a review of the relevant administrative processes and the distribution and use of the funds in order to improve the agency’s understanding of the effectiveness of the programs and the lessons learned, identify gaps and needs in continuing post-recovery, and improve or inform future design, technical support, and distribution of special use funds as part of an overall emergency response plan. The data collection activities are planned for January 2024 through February 2024, or as soon as IMLS receives Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance.

The latest form for IMLS Evaluation of Grant Programs Funded by the ARPA and the CARES Act. expires 2027-02-28 and can be found here.