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About the LORI Grant Program

Institute of Museum and Library Services
Institute of Museums and Library Services

LORI Grants are offered by the Office of Library and Information Services as subgrants funded through its federal Institute of Museum and Library Services grant under the Grants to States Program supported by the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA).

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. IMLS advances, supports, and empowers America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. The IMLS vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook.

ARPA Mini-Grants Instructions

Application Instructions

Access the Application

  • Before you fill out your application, you may want to download the Mini-Grant Narrative Template to draft answers for the narrative portion of the application. If you write directly into the online form, you cannot save your progress and you may lose your work if the session times out.
  • Visit the ARPA Mini-Grant Application Portal.
  • Enter your 3-letter library code and the application password. You can receive your application password by contacting the OLIS grants team.

Basic Information

  • If you are a LORI library, your library name, address and telephone number are pre-filled. If that information is not correct, please contact the OLIS grants team.
  • Fill in the Library Director information.
  • Fill in the Grant Coordinator information. This is the person primarily responsible for executing the grant on a daily basis. If that person will be the Library Director, check off the box indicating that the Library Director will act as the Grant Coordinator. Doing so will automatically copy the Director’s information into this section.
  • Fill in the Payee Information
    • All libraries must enter the entity that will receive payment, for example, the municipality, the library (requires the library’s legal name), the library’s foundation, the library's school district or other fiscal agent.
    • For federal reporting purposes, the payee must have a DUNS number. The DUNS number must match the name of the entity receiving payment.
    • If there is payee information already on file with OLIS, the application will offer the option to choose this payee information. Please review to ensure that this information reflects the correct entity and its corresponding DUNS number.
    • If you need to change the entity or any of the corresponding information, choose “Add a New Payee” and complete the corresponding form.
    • If you do not have payee information on file with us, you will only see a blank form for this section. This can be filled out as normal.

Application Questions

Download the Mini-Grant Narrative Template to draft your answers for the Impact Narrative section of the application. If you write directly into the online form, you risk losing your work. Copy and paste your answers from the document into the application portal when you are ready to apply.

  • Select the primary intent of your project. You may only choose one, so even if your project has multiple intents pick the one that best described your proposed project.
  • Provide a paragraph explaining how the materials and/or services you are requesting will help the library respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and help your community recover.
  • Choose your target audience. You may choose more than one if appropriate. Selecting "General Population" will exclude all other options. If your target audience is not otherwise listed, please include it under the "Other" option.
  • Provide a paragraph explaining how this project and the materials and/or supplies you will be purchasing will benefit the target population(s) you have selected.
  • Once you enter an item, you must fill in each field in the corresponding row to submit your application.
  • The form will auto-calculate the total for each item and provide a subtotal for the section; the grant total will be reflected in the Grant Budget Summary at the bottom of the page
  • Once you a dollar amount in a budget category, you must also enter a description. Provide a high-level list of what items or services you will be purchasing in that category. The Grant Budget Summary will total all your requested purchases.
  • You will not be permitted to submit an application for requests below $2500 and above $7500.
  • Upon submitting the application, you will be taken to a confirmation page that you should print/save for your records

Next Steps

  • OLIS will review your application after the application window closes on October 1, 2021 and grant awardees will be notified by October 15, 2021.
  • Any single piece of equipment that costs over $5,000 must be preapproved before the library purchases it.
  • Libraries whose applications have been approved will receive an agreement and federal assurances that must be signed and returned to OLIS. If the library or organization is not already listed as a vendor with the State of Rhode Island, it will need to complete the State of Rhode Island Payer’s Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (Form W-9).
  • A Request for Payment Form must be completed to draw down grant funds. Grant funds may be requested to reimburse expenditures for the grant project or for expenditures that will be made within 30 days of OLIS receiving the Request for Payment Form. OLIS will withold 20% of the total grant award pending submission of your final report no later than September 16, 2021.
  • The project and all project expenditures must be completed by August 19, 2022. Expenditures made prior to execution of the grant agreement or after August 19, 2022 are not eligible expenses. OLIS will review financial reports of the project and may audit the project. All project expenditures should be documented and supported with invoices and evidence of payment and must be available to OLIS on request.
  • Budget items must comply with federal regulations for allowable costs 2 CFR Part 200. Please contact OLIS if you have questions about allowable costs.

Contact

  • Contact the OLIS Grants Team for all questions, including to request a log-in to the application portal.