LSTA 2016 Competitive Grant Round

Shelley QuezadaGregor Trinkaus-Randall

Marlene Sue Heroux

Introduction, MBLC Website & Long-Range PlansNeeds & Target Audience

Shelley Quezada

Project Design, Goals, Objectives, and TimelineGregor Trinkaus-Randall

Evaluation, Sustainability & Budget Marlene Sue Heroux

Webinar Segments

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Presentation Resources• Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)

http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/index.php

• FY2016 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant Roundhttp://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/opportunities/index.php

• FY2016 LSTA Grant Application Resource Page http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/forms/index.php

• Sample Fact Sheet : http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/opportunities/fy2016/ServingTweensTeens_FY2016.pdf

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LSTA Long Range Plan Goals 2013-2017

1. Support learners of all ages with their individual educational and learning goals

2. Improve access to library services and resources for all residents of the Commonwealth

3. Enhance the quality of library services offered to residents of the Commonwealth

Check out the Massachusetts Five Year Plan at: http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/plan/lrp_2013.pdf

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LSTA Review/Notification Process

• Grant writing webinar available Dec. 2014-April 2015• Conference Call with questions, Jan. 7, 2015 10 AM• Proposal writing January- March 2015• Draft Proposal due on or before Feb. 27, 2015• Completed application due April 10, 2015 (postmark date)• State Advisory Council (SACL) review May 19, 2015 • Final decision on project awards MBLC Board meeting July 9,

2015• Applicants notified July 10, 2015

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LSTA Grant Timeline

• Application Posted

January 2015

• Feb. 27, 2015

Draft Applications Due • Applications

Due

April 10, 2015

• Awards Announced

July-Aug. 2015• Funding

Begins

October 1, 2015

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THE GRANT CYCLE

Statement of User Needs

• Describes problem • States needs of target group• Can be accomplished within a specific timeframe• Gives proof. i.e., statistics, commentary, accounts

from reputable sources, interaction with users • Stated in terms of user not applicant• Makes no unsupported assumptions• Explains why specific solution was selected

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Describing the User Population (Example)

The primary audience for this project is elderly citizens in our community whose age‐related visual or physical limitations make it difficult for them to read print books. The library will provide assistive technology, along with appropriate training and support, so that these elders can read more easily. The library will serve facility bound elders ‐through outreach to residential elder care facilities, and home bound elders through ‐collaboration with the local Elder Affairs council that provides supportive services for older adults. Our community has four nursing homes and adult care homes licensed to serve 320 residents. The council coordinates transportation for approximately 400 seniors to two public community centers for congregate meals and activities.

This project targets elders in our community because:• Reading is especially important to older people• The county demographic is aging• All residents deserve to enjoy library services regardless of age related disabilities

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Describing the Need (Example)

There is high demand for library services among our town’s older residents. The existing outreach program is robust; last year, library staff made 27 visits to homebound patrons and patrons in elder care facilities, circulated 1372 items and offered a variety of well attended programs designed for older people, e.g. senior ‐craft classes and computer instruction. However, many of our older patrons cannot take full advantage of the library’s services.

The most common problem among our older patrons is vision loss. Macular degeneration and cataracts are common ailments among elders that affect the ability to see print. Additionally many suffer from arthritis and have little strength or dexterity in their hands. They find it frustrating or painful ato hold heavy large print books, turn pages, or use book magnifiers. Though these patrons have access to talking books through the Braille and Talking Book Library many enjoy the simplicity and social engagement of requesting and receiving books through their local library rather than by mail, and some older patrons just prefer the printed word over audiobooks.

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Ways To Include Demographics and Other Data

Project Design, Goals, Objectives, and Timeline

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Winning Proposals

What Will You Do?

Real-life ScenariosDon’t Assume Follow

Requirements

Be Positive!

Set Clear Goals

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Goals

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• Broad, point towards future• Must relate clearly and directly to

the statement of need• Should name project audience• Relate to Library’s Long-Range Plan

Goals

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GoalsProblem or Opportunity?

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GoalsThe Who!

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Goals

• Keep it simple:“The goal of this project is to…….”

• Single, declarative sentence• Present tense with action verbs:

Build Conduct Deliver

Demonstrate Enhance Establish

Implement Increase Plan

Prepare Produce Provide

Reduce Select Strengthen

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Goals

• Who is the target/project audience?– Children, parents, caregivers, researchers

• What is the problem or opportunity?– Provide early literacy skill-building or– Provide a non-threatening environment?– Engagement or Educating?– Researchers have difficulty accessing materials

because use is limited to on-site use

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Goals -Examples

• “The goal of this project is to help parents and caregivers develop early literacy skills in children from birth to age five.”

• “The goal of this project is to conserve the Alice Smith papers so that they can be accessed by researchers.”

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Goals -Examples

• “The goal of this project is to digitize the Marvin Jones collection to make it much more accessible to researchers.”

• “The goal of this project is to offer early literacy programming to parents and caregivers to support the development of early reading skills in children, which is an important indicator of later school success.”

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Objectives

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Objectives

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Objectives

• State in terms of who, what, when and how much• State how objectives will be measured By the end of the project, having completed the preservation survey, the library will know the extent of its preservation needs and will begin

to address them to make more materials available to its patrons.

• State how much change will be expected Increase attendance by the hearing impaired at captioned film showings

by 50% over current levels by the eighth month of the grant.

• State in numerical terms (# and %)Circulation of science-related library materials will increase by 100 (25%) compared to previous year.

• Note: if project does not lend itself to outcome- based evaluation, define clear outputs to demonstrate success.

Activities, timeframes, benchmarks:

• Time units/frequency– Within three months...– By end of project year(s)...– Meet quarterly

• Percentages– Increase use of historical records by 20%– Increase use of adult new reader collection 15% by

end of project year (Presumes you have collected baseline data)

Developing Measurable Criteria

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Objectives

List in order of importance

List in chronological

order

No jargon

Use an action verb

Identify the target

audience

Must support the goal

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Objectives - ExampleAfter completing one early literacy class 70% of parents and caregivers will be able to share 3 early literacy activities with their children.

Specific

Parents & Caregiver

s

Measurable70%

3 activities

Attainable

Yes

RelevantYes

Time-phas

edAfter completing one class

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Objectives - Example

Parents and caregivers will be introduced to the functionality of the Early Literacy Center with 80% of these contacts returning to the Center within one month.

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Outputs vs. Outcomes

Outputs OutcomesChecked out a book Read for pleasureAttended a computer class

Created a resume

Used the library’s local history collection

Traced family history to 1850s

Signed up for summer reading

Maintained or improved reading level

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Outputs ~ measures of service or products

Examples:• Will add 75 foreign language books to collection by ninth

month of project• Will arrange and describe three manuscript collections by the

end of the project year• Will hold 8 1-hour workshops with a total attendance of 200

during project year• Will meet 4 times with Advisory Committee by September 30• Will digitize 4,326 images by the end of the project

Objectives: Outputs

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Shows impact on target group by changes in:

• knowledge – knows how to apply for a job online• behavior –reads regularly to preschooler • attitude – comfortable downloading digital content life condition/status -“I have a new job”

For more information on outcomes see: http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/manage/obe/

Objectives: Outcomes

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• Change in user behavior in those trained to use a computer for job hunting: 75 out of 100 people (75%) report they now use computer for job hunting (survey)

• Change in user attitude in comfort level of teens in old vs. new library teen space: 50% increase in number of teens who felt comfortable in teen space or 50 vs. 100 teens (survey)

• Changes in knowledge, behavior, attitude: By end of target year, 50% increase in number of families accessing materials and information about autism at library (38 vs. 19 (Circ. statistics and user survey)

Objectives: Outcomes (Examples)

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• Baseline data prior to project start• Existing records (circulation, reference data,

collection size)• Surveys (in-person and online; pre- and post- project)• Interviews (in person and by phone)• Observation (by staff and neutral outsiders, e.g.

contracted evaluators)• Testing (pre- and post-project to demonstrate

achievement)

Tools to Measure Outcomes

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Activities

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• Answer the question: how will you carry out project?• Describe who does what, when? • Flow from needs statement and program goals/

objectives • Describe step-by-step sequence• Describe program activities, dates and places, not

grants management activities • Show reasonable scope of activities within timeframe• Link to timeline of major project activities• Justify costs/resources

Methods/Activities

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Timeline

Shows when major project milestones will begin and end during the funding period.

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TimelineTask Responsible Party Time Frame (Dates)

Find dedicated space in library for Early Literacy Center

Library Director Completed by October 1, 2015

Order Early Literacy materials (toys, books, furniture etc.)

Youth Services Librarian

Completed by November 1, 2015

Order Computers and Software for Early Literacy Center

Tech Services Librarian Completed by November 1, 2015

Set – up Early Literacy Center

Youth Services Librarian, Tech Services Librarian

Completed by January 31, 2016

Submit Mid-year report to State Library

Project Director March 1, 2016

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Input Measures

• Quantifying the effort expended on a program– Funds expended– In-kind funds expended– Number of project staff and staff time– Extended library hours

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Output Measures

• Quantifying the level of service and materials provided– Circulation– Visits– Number of programs– Attendees at library programs– Collection size– Website visits– Etc.

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Output Measures - Examples

• Average number of users per week in the public computer center(s)

• Total hours per week of training provided at the public computer center(s)

• Number and type of marketing materials distributed

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Outcome Measures

• Documenting the effect a service has on the program’s stated objectives– Changes in user behavior– Changes in user attitude– Changes in user knowledge, behavior, and attitude– Changes in life condition/status

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Outcome Measures - Examples

Early Learning Center will…• Be well received• Create a welcoming space, resulting in:

– Increase in the productivity of parents who are more comfortable visiting the library with their children

– Increase in the number of families visiting the library– Increase in circulation of early learning materials– Increase in the cognitive abilities of the children who

benefit from their parents being educated

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Outcome Measures - Examples

• Researchers have greater access to the materials resulting on less handling and damage to the originals

• Increased donations of historical materials to the library's historical collections

• Participants who complete the class have a greater comfort level in using electronic resources

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

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Evaluation, Sustainability & Budget Segment

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Evaluation Section

• Describes methods and tools to gather quantitative and qualitative data relevant to your project

• To determine success of project• May include formative evaluation

throughout the project as well as summative at the conclusion

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Evaluation Considerations

• What will success look like?• How will you know that the project had an

impact on the target group? (more than just bodies in a room)

• Were goals & objectives met?• What baseline data will you use?

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Evaluation & Your Needs Statement

“The needs statement is a compelling argument with facts and statistical data that describe a problem in the

community that the library has identified.”-Hall-Ellis, Bowers, Hudson, Williamson, & Patrick, 2011

• Refer to needs section, as you are ultimately evaluating effectiveness of project in meeting needs of target group

• Evaluation - quantitative and qualitative

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Evaluation Methods• Quantitative – bean counting

• Qualitative – deeper relationship between target group needs & project

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Evaluation

Inputs/Outputs – library contributions and effort expended by target group

Outcomes –impact project has on target group

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Available Tools & Data Sources

Inputs/Outputs can be determined and evaluated using existing records:

• Circulation• Reference data• Usage statistics• Collection size/age/coverage

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INPUTS what library contributes to the

project:staff

hoursspace

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OUTPUTSmeasures of services or products provided by

library: circulation

materials acquiredprograms/meetings held

# new acquisitionscollection more up-to-date

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OUTCOMES measurable change in target groups’:

skillsknowledge attitudes behavior

condition in life

For additional guidance, see Outcome Based Evaluation at http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/manage/obe/index.php

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TOOLS TO MEASURE OUTCOMES Baseline data prior to project start

Existing records (circ., reference, collection)Surveys (in-person, online, pre- & post)

Program evaluation forms Interviews, focus groups (in-person, phone)

Testing (pre- & post) Assignments, other demonstrations of achievement

ObservationAnecdotal

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User Outcomes – Tell Me a

Story

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Outcomes Examples• Job seekers report increase in interviews or job offers

as a result of programming and resources provided for job seekers

• Students now view library as a resource for completing assignments & improved grades

• Faculty now view library & staff as a teaching resource (faculty and librarian collaborated to align library materials with common core standards)

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More Outcomes Examples“As a result of this library project I can…”

• Learn about my family’s involvement in our town’s creation through local digitized historical records

• Apply for unemployment insurance online• Borrow and read multi-cultural books with my

children that I got from the library• Write and post my a resume online • Post pictures of my grandchildren on a social

networking site (FaceBook, Instagram, etc.)• Evaluate the quality of information on the web

Outputs vs. OutcomesOutputs Outcomes

Checked out a book Improved reading comprehension

Attended a computer class

Communicate with friends overseas via Skype

Used the library’s genealogy collection

Created a family tree

Attended library job seeker classes

Created resume for job hunting

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Sustaining your project after grant period

classes

online databases

programming

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Sustainability & Commitment to Project

Strategies…• Incorporate project continuation costs into

the library’s operating budget • Resources from a third party • Include fund-raising initiatives • Assistance from project partners • Transfer of a portion of the project to

another entity

What will you do to meet the needs of the target group as described in the application?

Why is this important to the reviewer?

• Demonstrates library commitment to highlighted needs of the target group

• Illustrates importance of the project to library• Further ties project idea to long-range plan

Commitment to the Project if Not Funded

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Budget

Actual expenses the applicant identifies as essential to implement, manage, and evaluate

proposed project

Some are good!

YOUR grant application budget……Anything mentioned in the budget for funding, whether LSTA, in-kind or other sources, should be mentioned earlier in your application as part of the project design.

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Funder’s Guidelines

• Pay attention to funder’s guidelines and limitations. • The amount of LSTA funds that should be requested

should be within range on grant fact sheet. • Purchases and services must relate to your project. • For K-12 schools, ALL library materials and

equipment purchased with grant funds must be used in AND remain in the library. They can be loaned to users, but they should not take up residence in classrooms or at other locations.

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Sources of Funds

Two columns on grant application form for grant expenditures:

LSTA

Cost Share

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Sources of Funds-DefinitionsLSTA - your grant award. Categories to allocate use of LSTA funds for your project are on the application budget form

Cost Share - total/combination of:

• Locally Appropriated Funds - explicitly appropriated by your municipality or school for this particular project.

• In-kind funds - part of your library’s operating budget, but not specifically in support of project. e.g., paper, supplies, institution resources, hours library staff will spend on project (converting hours anticipated to be spent on project as a % of salary & benefits)

• Other Sources - donations made by Friends of the Library, PTO or other organizations, or other grants (bank or business, etc.) to support project

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BudgetProject costs may include:

Salaries/Wages/Benefits for staff

on payroll

Consultant Fees Travel

Supplies/Materials

Equipment > $5000 Services

Audit (Required)

Other (Identify)

Budget Categories Guidelines• Salaries/Wage/Benefits for staff on payroll

• Consultant fees

• Travel includes transportation to workshops, conferences, student trips, etc.)

• Supplies/Materials includes collections (but not content licensing), equipment*, furniture, software, hardware, supplies, promotional materials)

• Equipment *over $5000

• Services includes printing, presenters, speakers, performers, equipment maintenance, telephone, licensing of electronic content

• Audit (Required) - required if your city or town receives more than $500,000 in total from the federal government. Must be paid for with local funds.

• Other (identify) – not otherwise covered

• *note CIPA regulation about prohibition of computer & handheld devices Internet access

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Paying for People with LSTA $

• Salaried personnel - staff on institution’s payroll; use LSTA funding to extend hours of current part-time staff working on project; cannot use to pay benefits, overtime or project director

• Consultants – pay for consulting services; not on staff payroll (i.e., space design, website development, staff development, series of workshops)

• Services – presenters/speakers/performers (authors, lecturers, trainers for workshops)

(Note: Get some quotes in advance so that your budget is realistic.)

Staff Time/Resources =

Cash-match: Not required. Desired: Commitment of staff TIME

and/or institutional resources in support of proposed project show organization’s commitment to project.

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Project Personnel FormDo I need to complete a Project Personnel Form for all people being paid with grant funds?

NO

• Only complete for organizational employees listed under salaries,wages /benefits lines. No form necessary for consultants or people listed under services (performers, speakers, etc.)

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Budget DetailsBudget detail column- list equipment, hourly rates for contract labor and salaries, and to explain anything else that is not clear from the budget table:

software namesdatabase titlesnames for speakers, consultants, brands

and models of equipment

You may not request federal funds for either Internet Service connectivity or devices

• MBLC does not fund Internet access through LSTA

• Federal funds cannot be used for computers, tablets or hand-held devices such as IPads, Kindles, Nooks and other devices that access the Internet

Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

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Budget Checklist

Yes!• Check math• Meet guidelines• Include in-kind support

(audit)• Investigate prices• Detailed & realistic• Explain, justify• What library will

contribute to project

No! • Food!• Paying the project

director• “Double-dipping”• Giveaways• Giant honoraria• Built-ins• Unjustified expenses• Surprises!

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Final ThoughtsContact Information

Please call your project consultant with any questions:

Phone: (617) 725-1860 or 1 (800) 952-7402

Gregor x 236 Marlene x 250 Shelley x 235

Complete FY2016 LSTA Grant Opportunities, Fact Sheets, Policies and Procedures & Fact Sheets on the web:

http://www.mass.gov/mblc/grants/lsta/opportunities/index.php